Not one single voting rights question was asked during the presidential debates in 2016. Not one single question. Voting is one of our most fundamental rights, yet voter suppression and gerrymandering continually threaten our democracy.

We witnessed widespread voter suppression during the 2018 midterm elections across several state elections. In Georgia, 53,000 voter registrations were put on hold, nearly 70% of which belonged to black voters. North Carolina’s 2018 midterm election had nearly 20% fewer early voting locations than there were in 2014.

This is a crucial discussion, and the debates can provide a real opportunity to expand and clarify the discourse. In the primary season, unless the Democratic National Committee (DNC) prioritizes the issue, we know that news networks and other debate host organizations will not broach this subject.

We cannot consider Democratic presidential hopefuls fully vetted until they have been clear on how they intend to defend our voting rights. It is essential that this is a front-and-center issue.

There is no constitutional assurance for voters and legislation aimed at these protections -- the Voting Rights Act -- was weakened by the Supreme Court in 2013, permitting states to change their election laws without advance federal approval.

It’s vital to make voting rights a major issue for 2020. The voters demand our candidates assure that every American has access to this fundamental exercise, and we want to hear them discuss this -- it is the foundation of our democracy and it must be a forefront issue. #AskAboutVotingRights

Sign the petition: Call on the DNC to include voting rights questions in the upcoming debates.