Since the country elected President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Brennan Center for Justice found that state lawmakers have introduced 361 restrictive election bills in 47 legislatures—a 43 percent increase since last year. That number may grow, as 55 other bills in 24 states could also further restrict the right to vote. President Joe Biden labeled this swell of voting restrictions as “Jim Crow in the 21st Century.” This includes Georgia’s recently passed voting law that, in addition to other things, limits drop boxes, weakens the Secretary of State’s authority, and criminalizes offering food or water to voters waiting in lines. The movement to restrict voting coincides with Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, which has the potential to further limit the Voting Rights Act in the wake of Shelby County. This symposium will discuss the historical development of race and voting in America, how to conceive of voting rights in this political environment, the Voting Rights Act’s reach and its effectiveness at policing discrimination, the potential of the For the People Act of 2021 and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 to advance equity, and recent and potentially forthcoming jurisprudence that will define voting for years to come.
