American democracy relies on civic participation; the fundamental right to vote is critical to maintaining a healthy government meant to serve the people. Democratic ideals, based on ancient Greece’s system of self-government, put power back in the hands of the people. It set the United States apart from other nation states of its time and sparked democratization efforts in other countries.
Of course, our nation’s path to an inclusive democracy has not been a smooth journey, but America has attempted to correct its past mistakes: The power of the women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Yet, challenges persist.
Universal suffrage, like all basic liberties, is prone to antidemocratic attacks. Today, this is an all-too-familiar story in America, with reproductive rights, educational curricula and many other fundamental freedoms on the chopping block. Arguably one of the most chilling assaults on our democracy are current efforts to curtail voting rights, surreptitiously led by right-wing lobbyists and “dark money.”
The rise in voter suppression efforts can be traced back to two relatively recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions: Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and Shelby County v. Holder. In 2010, the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Citizens United case reversed campaign finance restrictions that had been in place for nearly a century. Essentially, the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and special interest groups had a right to spend unlimited funds on political campaigns.
In the subsequent Shelby County v. Holder case the Supreme Court declared some parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 obsolete and unnecessary, thereby gutting key provisions that protected voters. Together, these rulings are a one-two punch enabling dark money groups to target the one tool powerful enough to keep them in check: the power of the vote.
While unlimited corporate donations threaten American democracy, the 14-year-old Citizens United decision also paved the way for an even more Orwellian loophole by expanding special interest groups’ use of dark money. These dark money organizations — unregulated political spending groups, coupled with the dystopian bonus of donor anonymity — funnel unlimited donations into their preferred candidates’ campaigns through super PACs. This means wealthy individuals or corporations can fund their handpicked politicians and agendas without fear of reputational damage or public scrutiny. Consequently, hundreds of millions of dollars of dark money have been spent on both Democratic and Republican politicians, aiding them in their elections and often contributing to their decisive victories. This is a blatant violation of democratic norms and has significantly outweighed the voice of the people.
In addition to opening the floodgates to unlimited political donations, the 2013 Shelby County decision has encouraged an increased influx of dark money to target voter suppression efforts. As a result, historically disenfranchised citizens are now prone to the antidemocratic ambitions of dark money donors and the groups they fund.
Special interest groups deliberately suppress the electorate’s voice in an effort to avoid public rejection of harmful legislation, such as weakening environmental laws or loosening gun restrictions. In order to mitigate major pushback, dark money groups have dedicated a significant portion of their funds to voter suppression campaigns. The influx of voting conspiracy theories following the 2020 election gave anonymous donors the justification to fund conservative think tanks such as Heritage Action, FreedomWorks and the Honest Elections Project. These groups, in turn, push everything from antivoting Facebook ads filled with misinformation to model bills crafted to suppress voting rights.
In 2023 alone, about 14 states enacted restrictive, or potentially restrictive, voting laws. These states, with mostly Republican-controlled governments, targeted the elimination of mail-in voting, early voting and same-day registration, and advocated for identification laws and other highly-restrictive voting legislation, all of which were largely funded by dark money. Although conservative organizations have been pushing for similar voting restrictions for decades, they can now attempt to justify these laws based on false claims of voter fraud from former President Donald Trump and other Republican politicians. In fact, any credible study will show that voter fraud is practically nonexistent in the United States, leaving no basis for passing such restrictive voting legislation. These efforts are diametrically opposed to the properly functioning, inclusive democracy that all citizens deserve.
As American citizens, we must take this threat seriously and advocate for real change, starting with the implementation of legislation that curbs the influence of special interest groups backed by hidden, self-serving donors. Crucial legislation like the John Lewis Voting Rights Act must be signed into law in order to expand the right to vote and make it accessible for all Americans. This new voting rights act will strengthen voter protection lost in the Shelby County case and make it harder for dark money to suppress the will of the people. Unfortunately, Republicans, often funded by dark money, are steadfast in their commitment to not only halt the expansion of voting rights but to restrict and suppress it as much as possible. This concerted effort must be stopped; it is time for the power of government to be returned to the hands of the people.
Zach Ajluni is an Opinion Columnist who writes about American politics and current events for The Michigan Daily. He can be reached at zajluni@umich.edu.