Blog
The State of the Vote: Voter Registration and Suppression in the Semiquincentennial
As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of American democracy, we’re faced with challenges to the franchise that have persisted throughout the history of our comparatively youthful nation.
In 1776, the Founding Fathers sought to establish a nation built on the foundations of fair and just democracy. The actualization of a “fair and just” nation remains elusive to this day:
Over these 250 years, progress has been made toward a fairer, more equitable democratic system:
Year | Title | Years Since 1776 |
1865 | 13th Amendment: Abolition | 89 |
1868 | 92 | |
1870 | 15th Amendment: Right to Vote Not Denied by Race | 94 |
| 1919 | 19th Amendment: Women’s Right to Vote | 143 |
1962 | 24th Amendment: Prohibiting Poll Taxes | 186 |
1965 | 189 | |
1984 | 208 | |
1986 | 210 | |
1993 | 217 | |
2002 | 226 |
While that progress has been made, American democracy is currently at its most fragile state in decades.
Data from the Pew Research Center highlights this conflict and reveals that public trust in the government is at an all-time low. In late 2025, just 17% of Americans said they trust the federal government “to do what is right”, down from the 22% in 2024. The researchers noted that since the question of government trust was first asked in 1958 (73%), the current trend is one of the lowest in seven decades.
Voter Suppression in America: From Poll Taxes to Modern Barriers
Voter suppression has existed since the dawn of democracy in Ancient Greece. In the US, tactics have evolved from explicit voting bans and ostracism into seemingly-benign technical changes that “just so happen” to disproportionately harm already-marginalized populations.
The 1965 Voting Rights Act (VRA) was a pivotal piece of legislation that allowed “all” Americans the legal right to vote. Unfortunately, what originally seemed like a win for American democracy also made way for systemic legislative biases designed to replace the earlier discriminatory practices.
Since 1965, voter suppression has manifested as:
- Strict(er) voter ID laws
- Cuts to early voting
- Restricted voter registration
- Purging voter rolls
- Rule changes for vote-by-mail deadlines
To date, one of the largest instances of democratic regression happened in 2013 with the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Holder decision. With this ruling, the Supreme Court gutted the 1965 VRA, rolling back the key provisions that required federal oversight of districts based on their histories of voter discrimination (preclearance).
More recently, the Louisiana v. Callais decision all-but-rescinded Section 2, which previously aimed to protect minority communities from unfair, biased voting laws.
The impacts of the decisions in Shelby County v. Holder and Louisiana v. Callais have opened the door for further voter restrictions, some even being proposed within hours of the announcement. Within the first year of the Shelby County v. Holder ruling, for example, states like Texas, Alabama, and North Carolina rushed to enact new voter laws designed to restrict access to the ballot, especially for minority communities.
Redistricting and Gerrymandering: How District Lines Decide Elections
The impact of Shelby County v. Holder goes beyond ballot-related suppression laws. Without the VRA’s enforcement of federal preclearance, the ruling opened the door for racially biased redistricting and gerrymandering. Since the ruling, various states have begun to redraw their districts more frequently, typically to give an advantage to one political party over the other.
Redistricting vs. Gerrymandering: What’s the Difference?
Redistricting is the process of drawing the boundaries of electoral districts (i.e., for Congress and state legislatures) and is carried out by the states. Traditionally, American states redraw their congressional districts every 10 years, following the Decennial Census of Population and Housing (commonly referred to as the US Census). Redistricting typically occurs at this time so the districts for the House of Representatives are properly distributed.
As defined by the Bipartisan Policy Center, gerrymandering is “the strategic drawing of district boundaries to increase the likelihood of future electoral success for one or more parties.” In the US, this frequently manifests as racial gerrymandering, where the boundaries are drawn to impact the electoral influence of particular racial groups over others.
In Spring 2026, the Supreme Court ruled on Louisiana v. Callais. In a 6-3 ruling, the Court’s conservative majority struck down the Louisiana congressional map designed to specifically give Black voters fair representation in Congress.
Read more about the impacts of Louisiana v. Callais here: https://civitech.io/louisiana-v-callais-what-this-means-for-voting-rights/.
By setting the precedents that allow for biased redistricting and gerrymandering, together, the Shelby County v. Holder and Louisiana v. Callais rulings have and will continue to result in nationwide disenfranchisement.
In short: More gerrymandering means fewer swing districts, fewer competitive elections, and a weaker American democracy.
The Fight for Fair Elections Isn’t Over: Here’s How to Take Action in 2026
On the 250th anniversary of the United States, voter suppression remains an enduring and pervasive characteristic of American democracy. This does not mean that we should give up in the fight against suppression.
Civitech was founded to build the tools and infrastructure needed for a fairer, more equitable democracy. In short, this fight is what we live and breathe for.
Want to get involved? Vote. Find the 2026 Midterm Election Deadlines below.
Online, In-Person, and Vote-by-Mail registration dates, unless otherwise noted:
Deadline | State(s) {In-Person Deadline} [VBM Deadline] |
October 4, 2026 | AK, RI |
October 5, 2026 | AZ, FL, GA, KY, OH, SC, TN |
October 6, 2026 | IN, NM |
October 7, 2026 | MO |
October 9, 2026 | DE, NC |
October 10, 2026 | OK |
October 12, 2026 | ME |
October 13, 2026 | DC, KS, LA [10/5], MN, OR, WI, WV |
October 14, 2026 | NJ |
October 16, 2026 | CT |
October 19, 2026 | CA [10/18], IA, IL [10/6], MI, PA |
October 20, 2026 | AL [10/19] |
October 22, 2026 | NE [10/16], UT [10/23] |
October 23, 2026 | ID, VA |
October 24, 2026 | MA, NY |
October 26, 2026 | CO, WA |
October 29, 2026 | NV {10/6 or 11/3} [10/5] |
(Election Day) November 3, 2026 | HI [10/26], MD, VT [11/2] |
The following states only have in-person and/or VBM registration. Their deadlines are as follows:
Deadline | State(s) [VBM Deadline] |
October 5, 2026 | AR, MS, TX |
October 19, 2026 | SD |
October 20, 2026 | WY |
November 2, 2026 | MT [10/7] |
Check your town/city website for deadlines | NH |
ND: Voter registration is not required
To learn more about how we support progressive campaigns, organizations, and causes, go to civitech.io.