# Plain Language Summary: Constitutional Amendment on the Right to Vote

This is a proposal to add a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would establish voting as a fundamental right for all Americans. Right now, the Constitution doesn't explicitly guarantee that people have a right to vote—instead, it lists certain things the government cannot do to prevent voting (like denying the vote based on race or gender). This resolution would flip that around by making voting itself a protected constitutional right that Congress could enforce and protect.

What this means in practical terms is that if passed by Congress and then approved by the states, it would give the federal government stronger legal tools to protect voting access. Congress could pass laws to prevent states from making it too hard for eligible citizens to vote, and courts would have clearer constitutional authority to strike down voting restrictions they consider unfair. This could affect things like voter ID requirements, early voting access, registration procedures, and other rules that currently vary widely from state to state.

The resolution doesn't specify exactly what voting rules would be allowed or prohibited—that would be worked out through future laws and court decisions. But the core idea is to treat voting as a fundamental right similar to freedom of speech or religion, rather than something the government can limit as long as it doesn't discriminate based on race or gender. This would be a significant shift in how voting rights are protected in America, giving federal lawmakers and courts more power to ensure consistent voting access across all states.

A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the fundamental right to vote.

Durbin, Richard J.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment related to the fundamental right to vote.Specifically, it grants every U.S. citizen of legal voting age the fundamental right to vote in any public election held in the jurisdiction in which the citizen resides.Next, it specifies that the fundamental right to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state, unless the denial or abridgment is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest by the least restrictive means.Finally, it repeals a specific portion of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which allows for the denial of the right to vote based on crime. (Currently, some states disallow individuals from voting, either temporarily or indefinitely, after incarceration for a felony.)