As we reflect on Black History, we remember activists in the generations before us, who fought tirelessly to ensure the right to vote for all American citizens. From the 15th and 19th Amendments granting suffrage to Black men and to women, to the 24th Amendment eliminating poll taxes, voting rights advocacy is a thread woven throughout American history. However, even with these Amendments appearing to emphasize equality, it wasn’t until the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which declared an end to racially discriminatory voting policies, that the votes of Black Americans were truly realized.
And now, in 2026, that history is developing. More than 60 years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, many Americans still face obstacles to voting. The SAVE America Act, which recently passed the US House, would require data checks for voter registration that could block millions of eligible Americans from voting. If it became law, American citizens would need to show a passport or birth certificate to vote. Research shows that millions of Americans don’t have easy access to these documents, especially young voters and voters of color. This legislation would increase the burden of civic participation, the bedrock of our democracy.
Here in Ohio, voter disenfranchisement continues. Past legislation like House Bill 458 made voting more difficult, creating some of the country’s strictest voter ID laws and placing new limits on accessible voting methods like drop-boxes, early voting, and absentee ballots. The newly passed Senate Bill 293 requires monthly mass purges of registered voters, in violation of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The ACLU of Ohio, along with a variety of partner organizations, is challenging this law. Last week, the League of Women Voters of Ohio and CAIR-Northern Ohio filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that SB 293 violates the NVRA and the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. Together with the Campaign Legal Center and the ACLU Voting Rights Project, we’re posing three objections:
- The citizenship data used to complete purges is outdated and will lead to many naturalized citizens being wrongfully removed from voter rolls.
- SB 293 violates the NVRA’s provision that protects voter data from being removed in the 90-day period before an election.
- Voters may not be notified of their removal in enough time to fix their registration before voting begins, obstructing their fundamental right to participate in their democracy.
Voter suppression may be less overtly racist than it was 60 years ago, but our election laws are still designed to decrease turnout from certain groups. The ACLU of Ohio remains committed to the protection of voting rights for every eligible voter. Legislation like the Voting Rights Act opened the door to freer, fairer elections, and we carry on the struggle to ensure that every voice is heard.
