Featured Articles

Forty Years of the Voting Rights Act

This year is the fortieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. In the years since its passage, our country and the world have come to hold the right to vote as the crown jewel of civil liberties.

The Voting Rights Act: Ensuring Dignity and Democracy

The Voting Rights Act profoundly altered the political landscape of the United States. Only years of protest and violent retaliation secured the passage of the Act.

Electoral Machinations in Ohio, 2004

In Ohio, the 2004 election was marked by irregularities, accusations of fraud, and court challenges.

Electronic Voting: Conflicts Within the General Public and the Disabled Community

Electronic voting has the potential to improve access, accuracy, and security, but the process as currently implemented is deeply flawed.

Lawful Disenfranchisement: America's Structural Democracy Deficit

More than 9 million American citizens face structural disenfranchisement, among them people who live in the District of Columbia and U.S. territories

Getting the Vote for Prisoners in Washington, D.C.: A Journey from Civil Rights to Human Rights

In Washington, D.C., as in every state except for Maine and Vermont, prisoners serving felony convictions do not have the right to vote. An advocacy group is working to create universal suffrage in the District of Columbia.

The Electoral College Flunks the Test in an Age of Democracy

The Electoral College system is outmoded and divisive. The American voting system deserves constitutional reform and direct democracy.

The Count Every Vote Act of 2005

The reality of the American voting system is dangerously at odds with the ideals of democracy. The Count Every Vote Act of 2005 seeks to remove obstacles that keep voters from casting their ballots.

What Iraq's Elections Teach Us About Democracy Building

The Iraqi elections reinforce important lessons about the democratic process in transitional nations. The local role, particularly in funding and organization, is crucial. International support also plays a vital part.

X Marks the Choice: Voting Methods Around the World

Voting methods vary widely in different countries. Whatever the method, two factors must be present for success: the knowledge that votes will remain secret and that they will be counted in a free and fair system.

Human Rights Hero: Fannie Lou Hamer

Fannie Lou Hamer displayed tenacity and courage in the effort to fully extend franchise to African Americans in the South. Other voting rights activists are profiled throughout this issue of Human Rights.