Voting Rights Under Threat:
Will There Be a Fair and Free Election in November?
Part of the UB Law in Focus Discussion Series
Voter suppression is not a new phenomenon, but politicians continue to develop new ways to make it difficult to cast a ballot. Techniques like gerrymandering, voter ID laws, restrictions on voter registration, felony disenfranchisement and voter purges are just some of the ways many Americans – particularly blacks, the elderly, students and people with disabilities – are kept from exercising their fundamental right to vote.
Since 2013, when the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court decision weakened the Voting Rights Act, it has been more difficult to combat these efforts at disenfranchisement. In addition, many states and localities do not have adequate funding to administer elections in an accessible and equitable way. What should our government be doing to protect this important right of citizens, and what can we as individuals do to expand voting rights and ensure fair elections?
On June 18, 2020, Prof. Gilda Daniels, director of litigation at the Advancement Project and author of Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America; Prof. Kim Wehle, author of What You Need to Know About Voting – And Why; and Jennifer Nwachukwu, J.D. '15, counsel on voting rights at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, discussed these issues. UBalt School of Law Dean Ronald Weich moderated the discussion.
Panelists
Gilda Daniels
Associate Professor of Law
Kim Wehle
Professor of Law
Jennifer Nwachukwa, J.D.'15
Counsel, Voting Rights and Stop Hate Projects
Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Future Events
To recommend a topic idea or to express your interest to serve as a panelist for a future event, contact Jason Keller at jkeller@ubalt.edu.