Voting is the cornerstone of democracy, and yet the story of voting in America has often been one of exclusion—and many who are able to vote choose not to exercise the right. The fight for voting rights has existed alongside campaigns to encourage voter registration and turnout. The National Museum of American History's online exhibition American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith explores voting history and fundamental questions about what it means to be a citizen. The National Museum of African American History Museum exhibition Make Good the Promises explores the struggle to secure the promise of the 15th Amendment.
The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is not guaranteed. You can lose it.
—Rep. John Lewis, 2020
