This week marks 59 years since the signing of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Three months until the Nov. 5, 2024 general election. And the kickoff of the Legal Defense Fund (LDF)’s Black Voters on the Rise initiative, a rebranding and combining of two of LDF’s longstanding projects to empower voters and safeguard their rights.
As the nation’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice, protecting the right to vote has been a core part of LDF’s work since its founding in 1940. And, for just as long, a holistic approach to voting rights advocacy has been intrinsic to making this happen. Black Voters on the Rise continues to champion this multifaceted approach – and serves as the foundation for carrying this work into the future, with an emphasis on empowering the next generation of Black voters to make their voices heard, especially amid a critical election season.
Through decades of litigation, LDF has secured critical voting rights advancements. To name just a few, in 1944 LDF’s founder, Justice Thurgood Marshall, argued Smith v. Allwright, bringing an end to the all-white primary system in Texas. In the 1980s, legendary LDF attorneys — including Lani Guinier, William Quigley, and former Director-Counsel Jack Greenberg — litigated Major v. Treen, the first successful case under the then-newly-amended Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). And, in October 2022, LDF argued at the Supreme Court on behalf of Black voters demanding fair districts in Allen v. Milligan, which upheld decades of precedent affirming protections for Black voters in the redistricting process.
Yet the courts have never been the only venue for change.
LDF’s work to defend the right to vote has always been multifaceted, incorporating community organizing, policy advocacy, and strategic communications. For example, in 1965, LDF worked together with the organizers and activists in the Selma to Montgomery march to secure authorizations to complete the march and help usher in the VRA’s passage. For years afterward, LDF attorneys played a critical role in the policy arena, negotiating the VRA’s terms and its reauthorizations. And, throughout its history, LDF has prioritized educating Black voters about participating in the democratic process and ensuring their voices are heard.
Following the 2000 elections, LDF partnered with other civil rights organizations to launch the nonpartisan Election Protection network and the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline. In subsequent years, LDF further elevated and deepened this work. In 2008, it launched its Prepared to Vote project, which provided direct voter education and on-the-ground support during election seasons. In 2020, the organization created the Voting Rights Defender project and committed to year-round electoral work, including regularly monitoring threats to voting access, further investing in sustained local partnerships, and broadening multi-tactical advocacy efforts to protect and expand voting rights.
Black Voters on the Rise combines and rebrands LDF’s Prepared to Vote and Voting Rights Defender Projects, marking the next chapter in the organization’s legacy of holistic advocacy. Its name is an ode to the activists and advocates throughout history who tirelessly fought to uplift the next generation of Black voters by fighting against injustices and advocating for equal voting rights. And it also reflects a commitment to carrying this advocacy forward by empowering young eligible voters, who comprise a substantial portion of the American electorate. This work comes at a critical time when there could not be more on the line for Black voters and American democracy at large.
Black Voters on the Rise is working to meet this moment.
The Black Voters on the Rise initiative is comprised of an interdisciplinary team that works to support Black political engagement by advancing Black voters’ rights and the promise of a free and fair democracy throughout the full life cycle of the democratic process. As a continuation of LDF’s existing long-term voting rights work in focus states across the South, Black Voters on the Rise is concentrating its efforts on seven states: South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. In these states, Black communities have some of the largest populations and highest barriers to the ballot.
Ahead of November’s elections, LDF’s Black Voters on the Rise team will educate voters on their voting rights and changes in election law and mobilize communities to exercise their right to vote. This mobilization will include encouraging community members to directly engage in election preparation by participating in public meetings and learning about their local elected officials and their roles in shaping community projects and policies. Critically, LDF’s team will also undertake extensive pre-election advocacy, working with state and local officials to help prepare for and counter potential election issues. This work can include combating mass challenges to voter registration, preventing voter intimidation, and preventing election administration problems like voter purges and poll site changes.
Black Voters on the Rise will also work with partners to train volunteers to support communities throughout the entire voting process, which starts with early voting and continues through election certification – the process through which ballot counts and election results are confirmed. During this period, LDF staff and volunteers will be in the field in focus states to identify any barriers to ballot access or any discriminatory voting practices — and address them as needed. Once the final ballots are cast, LDF’s team will monitor the post-election process to ensure it is conducted transparently with fair and trusted results. And, after the election, the work will continue. Following certification, Black Voters on the Rise will release research and publications to inform future voting rights advocacy and be ready to monitor and advance policy and election administration reforms at the local, state, and federal levels.
Democracy is a year-round project, and everyone has a role. As history has demonstrated time and again, this work cannot be done without the wisdom and guidance of grassroots and community organizations. Black Voters on the Rise will continue to invest in deep partnerships in our seven focus states and, alongside these partners, will support the development of nonpartisan resources that support the long-term work of building Black political power. This support includes creating infrastructure and building on-the-ground capacity that advances Black people’s interests and achieves the promises of America’s multiracial democracy.
For generations, Black voters have led the march for our nation’s cornerstone civil rights protections. Each of these rights rests in the promise of our democratic process: Indeed, the right to vote preserves all other rights. Black Voters on the Rise inherits and honors the legacy of those who have marched before us, while energized by the leadership of the rising generation of Black voters.
Voter Resources
LDF works to protect voting rights and support Black political engagement. Through community-centered advocacy, we are fighting back. Find state-specific voting information about deadlines, polling places, registration information, and more.
Voter Resources
With the passage of State Voting Rights Acts (VRAs), states can provide key protections to their constituents that prevent and guard against discriminatory voting practices and policies.
Voter Resources
Our state, municipal, and county-level elected officials make a wide range of decisions that shape our communities. We’ve compiled an index of some of the major elected positions in state and local government and their functions.
LDF Original Content
We created the following list of key election issues that inform the path forward to 2024 — and also identified opportunities for proactive advocacy so you can prepare to cast your ballots.
LDF Original Content
Information about local elections and candidates can be hard to find. Our research guide helps you find the information about candidates and issues on the ballot in your communities that you need to be prepared to vote.
LDF Report
Democracy Defended: Lessons from the 2022 Elections and the Path Ahead in 2024 incorporates data points, key takeaways and observations from elections in LDF’s target states in 2022 to help civil rights advocates engage strategically to support voters.
