U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and six other colleagues, has reintroduced a joint resolution aimed at enshrining an explicit, individual right to vote in the U.S. Constitution. The move is designed to protect all Americans who wish to exercise this fundamental right.
"The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy, giving every eligible American the power to have their voices heard," stated Senator Hirono. "As extremist Republicans across the country continue working to erode our democracy and undermine voting rights I’m proud to introduce this resolution to enshrine the right to vote in our Constitution. I’ll continue working to combat voter suppression and help protect the fundamental right to vote.”
The joint resolution proposes several key changes:
1. It would provide every citizen, who is of legal voting age, with an affirmative fundamental right to vote in any public election held in the jurisdiction where they reside.
2. It would authorize Congress to enforce the amendment and protect the right to vote through legislation.
3. It would require that any efforts to limit the fundamental right to vote be subject to the strictest level of review in courts.
4. It would ensure that states could no longer rely on Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment as a means of preventing Americans from voting due to a criminal conviction.
Joining Senators Hirono and Durbin as cosponsors are U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The resolution has garnered endorsements from organizations such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Rainbow Push Coalition, Advancement Project, and Color of Change.
Senator Hirono, a long-time champion of voting rights legislation and protections, has previously led several initiatives aimed at promoting voter rights. In March 2024, she led 11 colleagues in introducing the Time Off to Vote Act, which would require employers to provide at least two consecutive hours of paid leave for employees to vote in federal elections. In September 2023, she participated in National Voter Registration Day by introducing a resolution recognizing September as "National Voting Rights Month." Furthermore, in July 2022, Senator Hirono introduced the Youth Voting Rights Act, comprehensive legislation designed to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment and expand youth access to voting.