A free and secret ballot is the cornerstone of democracy, and voting rights are a fundamental right of all citizens. However, many people around the world face barriers that prevent them from exercising their voting rights. These include illiteracy, language barriers, poverty and impediments to freedom of movement. States must provide positive measures to overcome these obstacles in order to safeguard voting rights.
In the United States, a number of laws have been put in place to safeguard voters’ rights and ensure fair elections. These include federal civil rights laws and state voter protection laws. These laws prohibit intimidation, coercion and other forms of discrimination during all stages of the voting process, from registering to vote to casting a ballot. They also protect the civil rights of those who facilitate or assist the voting process, including election officials and volunteers.
However, in a 2013 decision, the Supreme Court struck a blow to the Voting Rights Act by striking down a section of the law that required jurisdictions with a history of discriminatory voting to get federal approval for changes before enacting them. The ruling left formerly covered jurisdictions free to pass new voting restrictions that would have been blocked under the preclearance requirement, and Brennan Center research shows that they have done so with a particular focus on minority communities.
In addition, in most states, felons are barred from voting during and after their time in prison, preventing them from exercising this essential right. In some cases, this disenfranchisement continues for the rest of a person’s life.