Juneteenth 2024
Observing Freedom Day in a Diverging Democracy
Today, we observe and honor the legacy of Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day. This federal holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, the day enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom, roughly 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. As we reflect on this pivotal turning point in our country’s history, we recognize how the legacy of emancipation, the struggle for civil rights, and voting access for Black Americans, then and now, are deeply intertwined.
From Reconstruction through the Jim Crow era, Black Americans have been especially burdened by hurdles to voting, which included poll taxes, literacy tests, and hostile barriers like intimidation at the polls and retaliatory violence for those courageous enough to cast their vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was largely successful in empowering voters of color and mitigating discrimination in our election system; however, in 2013, the Supreme Court removed vital parts of the VRA, opening the door to a new era of restrictive voting laws.
A new MAP report, Diverging Democracy: The Battle Over Key State Election Laws Since 2020, details policy trends over the last four years that have impacted how voters cast their ballots as well as the security and independence of our elections. The report finds that while some states have emphasized expanding voter access, other states have prioritized restrictive measures that undermine the democratic foundation of our election system.
MAP’s analysis covers eight key policies and shows that since 2020, almost half of all states (24) have enacted only restrictive policies, signifying a prioritization of efforts that limit access to the ballot. The impact of these changes on voters varies for different communities and parts of the country, but Black voters are disproportionately impacted by restrictive laws.
To date, 65% of Black adults are living in states that passed at least one restrictive law out of the four tracked in MAP’s report:
- Strict voter ID requirements: In total, 15 states now require a form of ID to vote, with 11 of those states requiring a photo ID to cast a ballot.
- Bans on private funding of election offices: Since 2020, 26 states have enacted bans across the country.
- State departures from ERIC: Only 24 states and D.C. remain members of the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), and since 2020, 9 states departed, leaving the accuracy of their voting rolls at risk.
- Legislature interference in elections: Since 2020, nine states enacted law(s) that allow its legislature to seize power over election administration.
Each of the policies covered in this report are poised to significantly impact election outcomes, voter turnout, and public confidence in the electoral process. While restrictive policies are harmful to all voters, these restrictive trends are disproportionately affecting Black voters across the country. For example, not only are voters of color disproportionately impacted by strict voter ID requirements, they are more likely to be asked for ID at polling places, even when there are no ID requirements to vote. And as the report shows, varying voting requirements across the states means that an individual’s access to the ballot may increasingly depend solely on where they live.
As we commemorate Juneteenth and the historical legacy of never giving up the fight for equality and democracy, MAP’s report underscores how freedom and the ability to participate in civic life are directly connected to the ballot. We join today’s National Day of Action to protect voting rights and call on all citizens to register to vote.
Today and every day, MAP honors the resilience and perseverance of those who fought — and continue to fight — for voting access and a more inclusive democracy.
▸▸ Keep reading
- Read MAP’s new report, Diverging Democracy: the Battle Over Key State Election Laws Since 2020.
- Visit our real-time Democracy Maps, which track over 50 laws and policies related to voting and elections.
- Subscribe to our newsletter and follow our work via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
