Voting Rights
We are thrilled to feature the important voices and work of the many organizations and individuals that make up the Massachusetts Civic Learning Coalition on our blog. This post was written by Caroline Angel Burke, Vice President, Education, Visitor Experience and Collections, from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, an MCLC member organization since the coalition’s founding.
“The right to vote is the fundamental political right in our Constitutional system. It is the cornerstone of all our other basic rights. It guarantees that our democracy will be a government of the people and by the people, not just for the people.”
-- Senator Ted Kennedy
Election Day is upon us.
This statement is full of promise, and perhaps more than a little trepidation. As we know, Election Day concludes the exercise of our most foundational right as Americans. This foundational right has been hard-fought and was hard-won across the span of our history, quietly and loudly, on our nation’s streets and in the halls of our government institutions. It has taken persistence and patience, but also blood and perseverance all in the cause of democratic inclusion. Is this foundational right cast in stone? We know it is not.
This year’s elections across the country were more locally focused compared to last year’s focus on the presidency and federal offices. We as organizations and individuals dedicated to civic education have an opportunity to focus with students on the importance of voting participation. We must also focus on the processes and safeguards that keep the voting franchise available and accessible.
We at the Kennedy Institute recognize that teaching about voting and the right to vote is a multifaceted process. It is crucial to recognize the history of voting rights that brought us to where we are today, as well as the persistent struggles to secure and maintain these rights both within and outside of our government systems. We have attempted to strike this balance by designing participatory programs around current voting rights legislation pending in the Senate. We share a complementary overview exhibit about the history of voting rights, with specific attention paid to the rise and fall of the Voting Rights Act and its many reauthorizations and judicial challenges.
As part of the experience, participants debate and vote on provisions of a voting rights bill as Senators would, carefully considering the balance of constituent needs, state concerns, and personal values. At the same time, our visitors are also invited to vote via a mock ballot on four different ballot questions, as voters do, because while few of us will be senators, most of us are able to exercise our right to vote.
Election Day 2021 will pass quickly, but as we all learned last year, this is not the end of teaching and learning about our voting process. This is, rather, the next chapter. How will our local and state elections factor into national policy conversations? How will the redistricting processes in each state impact future elections? How will engaging younger voters impact the outcomes of current and future elections? Who will be willing to stand up for their right to vote?
Resources for further exploration:
Book a Visit: Voting Rights, the Electoral College
Today’s Vote in the Classroom: Voting Rights