PraisedbythelateJohnLewis,thisistheseminalbookaboutthelongandongoingstruggletowinvotingrightsforallcitizensbythepresidentofTheBrennanCenter,theleadingorganizationonvoterrightsandelectionsecurity,nownewlyrevisedtodescribetoday’sintensefightsovervoting.AsRep.Lewissaid,andrecenteventsinstatelegislaturesacrossthecountrydemonstrate,thestrugglefortherighttovoteisnotover.Inthis“importantandpowerful“(LindaGreenhouse,formerNewYorkTimesSupremeCourtcorrespondent)bookMichaelWaldmandescribesthelongstruggletoextendtherighttovotetoallAmericans.FromthewritingoftheConstitution,andateverystepalongtheway,asdisenfranchisedAmericanssoughtthisright,othershavefoughttostopthem.WaldmantracesthishistoryfromtheFounders’debatestotoday’smanyrestrictions:gerrymandering;voterIDlaws;thefloodofdarkmoneyreleasedbyconservativeorganizations;andtheconcertedeffortinmanystatelegislaturesafterthe2020electiontoenactnewlimitationsonvoting.Despitethepandemic,the2020electionhadthehighestturnoutsince1900.Inthisupdatededition,Waldmandescribesthenationwideeffortthatmadethispossible.HeoffersnewinsightsintohowDonaldTrump’sfalseclaimsoffraud--“theBigLie“--ledtotheJanuary6insurrectionandthefightsovervotinglawsthatfollowedoneofthemostdramaticchaptersinthestoryofAmericandemocracy.AsWaldmanshows,thisfight,sometimesvicious,hasalwaysbeenatthecenterofAmericanpoliticsbecauseitdeterminestheoutcomeofthestruggleforpower.TheFighttoVoteis“anengaging,concisehistory...offeringmanyusefulreformsthatadvocatesonbothsidesoftheaisleshouldconsider“(TheWallStreetJournal).
