The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protected the right to vote for all citizens, ensuring voters of color had the safeguards necessary to participate fully in our country’s political process.
Following the Supreme Court’s 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision, those protections stripped away core protections of the act. Since then, states and localities have unleashed voter suppression laws and practices that make it harder for Black people and other people of color to exercise the fundamental right to vote.
For more than a decade, Prepared to Vote (PTV) has prepared voters for elections by engaging volunteers on Election Day. Prepared to Vote equips voters with information needed to protect voting rights and support Black political participation. Through our on-the-ground advocacy, public education campaigns, and litigation in the courtroom, we are fighting back against attempts to restrict our right to vote.
Voting is so much more than the presidential election. Our state, municipal, and county-level elected officials make a wide range of decisions that affect your daily life. We’ve compiled an index of some of the major elected positions in state and local government and their functions to help you prepare to vote and become acquainted with how state and local government impacts your life and your community.
