Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wisc) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn) are proposing to change the U.S. Constitution.
The congressmen from the Midwest say the right to vote should clearly be spelled out.
The right to vote is explicit in Wisconsin’s state constitution, but it’s not clearly spelled out in the U.S. Constitution. Rather, it comes from the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and various post-Civil War constitutional amendments on race, sex and citizenship.
Stay informed on the latest news
Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.
Several states, including Wisconsin, have sought to pass Voter ID bills and other changes to the electoral process that critics say would undermine democracy. That’s why Pocan and Ellison are introducing a resolution in Congress to guarantee the right to vote. Says Pocan:
“I know some will say this amendment may be unrealistic-a constitutional amendment is too hard to achieve. But these critics are shortsighted.”
He wants the amendment to spark the American public to oppose voting rules he says are designed to limit people’s access to the polls. Enforcement of Wisconsin’s Voter ID bill was suspended by two lower courts. So far the state Supreme Court has declined to take the issue up.
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
