The Right to Vote: Who cares about it?
Earlier this year, I saw the Broadway musical Suffs. I had been so busy beforehand that I had not read a single preview or review of it. In fact, I thought the title might be a typo for “Stuff.”
It was not until I opened the program that I realized it told the story of the suffragists. It was one of the best productions I have seen in years.
I was taken by the extraordinary struggle to pass and ultimately ratify the 19th Amendment in 1920 and the persistence of the women leading the effort. I learned about Alice Paul, Carrie Chapman Catt and Ida B. Wells—women united by the goal of securing the vote for women yet often divided over how to achieve it. Their disagreements reflected a larger tension between generations with different visions for change. Despite those differences, they succeeded. It was impossible to ignore that it took 144 years after our nation’s founding for all American women to gain the constitutional right to vote.
The 15th Amendment, adopted decades earlier, followed an equally difficult path. Ratified just five years after slavery was abolished, it came only after generations of unspeakable injustices endured by enslaved Americans. Both amendments remind us that expanding democracy to meet the promises of the Declaration of Independence has never been easy.
Today, more than a century later, many Americans take the right to vote for granted. They look at these constitutional milestones and conclude “mission accomplished.” But democracy is not set in stone. It has evolved over the last 250 years, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. As lawyers, we have a special responsibility to recognize when that evolution threatens fundamental rights and to help correct course.
Our profession is uniquely positioned to identify threats to constitutional rights. Citizens look to lawyers for guidance in understanding the legal challenges facing our democracy and the rule of law. Today, one of the most significant challenges is protecting the right to vote.
Although this is not a presidential election year, this election cycle is critically important. Across the country, we continue to see efforts that affect who can vote, how citizens access their ballots, how elections are administered and even whether the 2026 elections should be held. Whether through proposals involving additional voter identification requirements, voter roll maintenance, restrictions on voting access or other changes to election administration, these issues deserve careful attention because they go to the heart of democratic participation. They challenge the very voting rights our ancestors fought so hard to attain.
At a time when confidence in elections is under strain, lawyers have a vital role to play. We can educate the public about voting rights, engage in civic dialogue and help reinforce confidence in the integrity of our election system. Every eligible voter should have fair and equal access to the ballot and be free from intimidation or unnecessary barriers. The right to vote remains foundational to the rule of law.
Thankfully, lawyers across the country and in every state stand ready to litigate election disputes when necessary to protect the electoral process. But even those of us who do not practice election law can ensure this November’s elections are safe, secure and fully participatory.
The American Bar Association offers numerous opportunities to become involved. Its Standing Committee on Election Law provides educational resources and practical ways for lawyers to serve. Among its initiatives is Poll Worker, Esq., which helps lawyers sign up as election workers. Attorneys also can volunteer with the nonpartisan Election Official Legal Defense Network to help election officials with legal issues.
I am proud to have served as a poll worker for the past four years, and I intend to do so again this November. I am equally proud that my home state of Ohio awards continuing legal education credit to lawyers who serve as poll workers. The training we receive and the experience of administering elections firsthand have strengthened my confidence in both the integrity of our election system and the professionalism of those who make it work.
I often hear people say they will not vote because they dislike the choices at the top of the ballot. Yet those same voters may overlook the many state and local races that directly affect their communities and the administration of justice. Every election matters. Apathy is a real threat to our democracy, and not voting is an expression of apathy.
Who cares about the right to vote? I do! And I hope you do too. Now, it’s time to put our words into action.
Email President Howard at [email protected].
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