Read more about the fight for democracy and voting rights from activists, elected officials, legal experts, data analysts and others. Use the drop-down menu to organize by subject.
Ballot measures are an integral part of policymaking in many states, giving citizens an opportunity to vote directly on new laws. Here are the ballot measures that affect democracy and voting that have made it on the ballot so far this year.
After the 2020 election, states had very different responses to the changes the pandemic caused for voting. Here’s how states used the lessons of the pandemic to restrict — or expand — voting.
As November inches closer, the midterm elections will be the center of attention, and it’s important to remember that young people have power.
With the ongoing attacks on the integrity of our elections and on democracy itself, there is simply too much at stake to remain on the sidelines. That’s why I’m in this fight.
In today’s piece, we’re looking back on six states that enacted redistricting reforms in the last decade to see how successful each reform was (or not) at leading to a fairer congressional map.
Time and again, businesses throw their weight and influence to pass more advantageous regulations or curry favor with legislative leaders. But they don’t need to wait for legislative action to make voting easier for their employees.
Young people ages 18-29 turned out to vote at historic rates in 2018 and 2020, and their participation could be decisive in the upcoming midterms. But that participation is not a given.
![Man standing over a table signing a piece of paper that a woman (who is sitting on the other side of the table) is pointing at [both people are in black and white]. Layed out around the two people is a blue "same-day registration sign" with a blue arrow, a blue voter registration application, a blue voters' pamplet, and two white and blue ballot envelopes. There is also a "VOTE" sign above the man in dark grey. The background is light blue and there is also a white circle in the middle.](https://www.democracydocket.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Youth-Collage-WEB.png)
As uncomfortable as it is to discuss, we need to establish before the election the framework for assessing whether an election meets the threshold of free and fair and, more importantly, what we will do if it does not.
Massachusetts has long prided itself on creating blueprints for change, but so far, our Commonwealth has not been the leader it can – and should – be on voting rights and access.
In 2021, there were 146 bills aimed at restricting or abolishing the ballot measure process. These restrictive measures take a variety of forms, but they all have the same function: to undermine the will of the people and diminish their decision-making power.
