Sen. Durbin Proposes Constitutional Amendment to Guarantee Voting Rights and End Bans for Former Felons
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It has been sent to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary for review and is not yet scheduled for a vote. The bill is considered active but has not moved beyond the initial committee stage.
Constitutional amendments are almost impossible to pass without massive support from both political parties, which this bill currently lacks.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from S.J.Res. 77 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
S.J.Res. 77 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
By establishing voting as a fundamental right subject to strict scrutiny, the amendment would make it much harder for any jurisdiction to pass laws that indirectly suppress voter participation among any group, including LGBTQ Americans. The strict scrutiny standard would provide an additional layer of legal protection against discriminatory voting restrictions.
“The fundamental right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State or political subdivision within a State unless such denial or abridgment is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text: CR S2055)
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Sen. Dick Durbin reintroduced a joint resolution to enshrine an individual right to vote in the Constitution. Durbin stated the amendment provides a 'north star' to push back against voter suppression, requiring strict scrutiny for any laws that limit access to the ballot box.
Following a 6-3 Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais that nullified key protections in the Voting Rights Act, congressional Democrats are moving to advance a constitutional amendment. The proposal would establish a fundamental right to vote and end felony disenfranchisement.
In the wake of his retirement announcement, Sen. Dick Durbin is making a final push for his signature legislative priority: a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to vote. Durbin argues that corporations lack this individual right, which must be explicitly protected for all citizens.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the fundamental right to vote.
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