Opinion

Read in-depth op-eds on voting rights and democracy from our contributors, guest authors and Democracy Docket's founder, Marc Elias. Use the drop-down menu to organize by topic.

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The Supreme Court Homelessness Case Threatens Our Basic Humanity

If the question is whether cities like Grants Pass are engaging in “cruel and unusual” behavior, this should be an open-and-shut case.

By Rakim Brooks

May 13, 2024

Black background with red elements of the U.S. Supreme Court and homelessness with the text of the SCOTUS case City of Grants Pass v. Gloria Johnson and John Logan in the middle.

Supreme Court Mifepristone Case Forecasts Decisions Worse Than Dobbs

If we want to preserve what we have left we have to acknowledge the very real and present threat and demand champions who will fight back.

By Rakim Brooks

April 1, 2024

Blue background with image of Supreme Court justice holding a red-toned legal scale that has a pill on either side to symbolize the abortion pill, mifepristone.

It Is Past Time To Bring Trump to Justice

With the fate of democracy hanging in the balance, we are left wondering whether the courts are up to the task of holding Trump accountable at all.

By Marc Elias

March 7, 2024

Light blue background with broken up image of the U.S. Supreme Court and Donald Trump looking over at the Court smirking and a red-toned document of the Supreme Court's decision in Anderson v. Trump, the 14th Amendment disqualification case.

Democratic Governors’ Judicial Appointments Have Never Mattered More

The power to appoint judges is yet another critical reason we must continue to invest in electing more Democratic governors.

By Meghan Meehan-Draper

March 6, 2024

Light blue background with blue scale that has a governor's seal on the top of the scale and a red elephant on the bottom of the scale.

The 14th Amendment’s Disqualification Clause Was Made for This Moment

The Constitution has a provision to protect our democracy in exactly the situation in which we find ourselves right now. We need to use it.

By Noah Bookbinder

February 7, 2024

Dark blue background with the U.S. Constitution in the center and the words of the 14th Amendment called out and on top of the Constitution is a red toned image of Donald Trump, a red toned image of the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection with people holding MAGA signs and a black and white toned image of the Civil War.

The Justices Must Choose: Trump or the Constitution

There really is no way for the Court to protect Trump and defend the U.S. Constitution — it must choose and bear the consequences.

By Rakim Brooks

February 5, 2024

White background with the nine Supreme Court justices sitting down in the middle, and the three liberal justices -- Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson and Elena Kagan -- are faded into the background. There are black and red images of Donald Trump and diferent hand gestures he's made, with a red line connecting all of the Trump images.

Disqualifying Trump Is on the Docket

While we should take solace in the fact that no prior president has acted as recklessly as Trump, that is not a reason to ignore Section 3 of the 14th Amendment now.

By Marc Elias

January 31, 2024

Red background with the U.S. Constitution faded into the background and lady liberty holding up a scale in one hand and a sword in the other looking like she is glitching.

The Supreme Court Just Admitted That Public Pressure Is Working

Honor is the Court’s currency, and it can’t function if the nation perceives it as untrustworthy.

By Rakim Brooks

December 4, 2023

Light blue background with image of Justice Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court seal, the Supreme Court, the Constitution, and words that read "statement of the court regarding the code of conduct"

A Quarter of Federal Courts Have Only Ever Had White Judges

We deserve a country where the administration of law reflects not just our hope for justice, but the beauty of our common struggle against racial hierarchy.

By Rakim Brooks

November 6, 2023