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A Real Right to Vote

How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy
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Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2024

About this book

Why it's time to enshrine the right to vote in the Constitution

Throughout history, too many Americans have been disenfranchised or faced needless barriers to voting. Part of the blame falls on the Constitution, which does not contain an affirmative right to vote. The Supreme Court has made matters worse by failing to protect voting rights and limiting Congress’s ability to do so. The time has come for voters to take action and push for an amendment to the Constitution that would guarantee this right for all.

Drawing on troubling stories of state attempts to disenfranchise military voters, women, African Americans, students, former felons, Native Americans, and others, Richard Hasen argues that American democracy can and should do better in assuring that all eligible voters can cast a meaningful vote that will be fairly counted. He shows how a constitutional right to vote can deescalate voting wars between political parties that lead to endless rounds of litigation and undermine voter confidence in elections, and can safeguard democracy against dangerous attempts at election subversion like the one we witnessed in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election.

The path to a constitutional amendment is undoubtedly hard, especially in these polarized times. A Real Right to Vote explains what’s in it for conservatives who have resisted voting reform and reveals how the pursuit of an amendment can yield tangible dividends for democracy long before ratification.

Author / Editor information

Richard L. Hasen holds the Gary T. Schwartz Endowed Chair in Law at the University of California, Los Angeles, and is director of UCLA Law’s Safeguarding Democracy Project. His books include Cheap Speech, Election Meltdown, and The Voting Wars.

Reviews

"A convincing argument in favor of a constitutional guarantee of the right to vote. . . . [Hasen's] lively, closely argued book is bound to ignite a public effort to achieve its ends. A persuasive, up-to-date proposal that deserves widespread attention." --- "A Real Right is a clarion critique of the antivoter status quo. Readers can’t help but feel how our political and judicial systems often fail American voters. Hasen’s solution, too, meets his title’s aspiration: constitutionalizing the right to vote could make it more 'real.'"---Corey L. Brettschneider and Aidan G. Calvelli, Political Science Quarterly --- "Hasen . . . makes a convincing case that this hole in the fabric of rights that makes up a democracy creates many of the pathologies that threaten the U.S. election system today."---Jessica T. Mathews, Foreign Affairs --- "Well worth a read. . . . Hasen provides a short, informative, and even lively history and analysis of the right to vote, including impediments such as voter suppression, voting irregularities, and disenfranchisement. Unlike much that is written on this complicated and often wonky subject, Hasen avoids jargon and tells stories about real people trying to vote and the technical, legal, and even physical barriers that have been erected to keep some from casting their ballots. Hasen makes a powerful case for a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote and for nonpartisan officials to run elections."---Paul Finkelman, Los Angeles Review of Books --- "

A compelling case for a constitutional amendment that protects and promotes the right to vote. [Hasen’s] book—published in an election year characterized by deep divisions over voter suppression, allegations of fraud, and threats to democracy—should command the attention of all Americans.

"---Glenn C. Altschuler, The Hill

Topics

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    Frontmatter

    i
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    CONTENTS

    vii
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    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    ix
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    Introduction WHY WE NEED A REAL RIGHT TO VOTE

    1
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    Chapter 1 COURTS ARE NOT ENOUGH

    19
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    Chapter 2 AN AMENDMENT FOR POLITICAL EQUALS

    41
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    Chapter 3 EXPANDING THE RIGHT TO VOTE?

    67
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    Chapter 4 DEESCALATING THE VOTING WARS

    91
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    Chapter 5 SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

    112
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    Chapter 6 HOW TO GET A REAL RIGHT TO VOTE

    132
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    Appendix DRAFT VERSIONS OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AFFIRMATIVELY PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE

    153
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    NOTES

    159
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    INDEX

    215
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    A NOTE ON THE TYPE

    223
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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
February 19, 2024
eBook ISBN:
9780691257723
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
View content
https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691257723
eBook ISBN: 9780691257723
Keywords for this book
voting rights; right to vote; voter suppression; elections; election law; constitutional law; constitutional amendment; election subversion; voting wars; Nineteenth Amendment; Fifteenth Amendment; Twenty-Sixth Amendment; electoral college; felon voting; territorial voting; Supreme Court; A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy; Richard L. Hasen; Princeton University Press; books: politics; voting; right to vote; constitutional law
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
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