When the United States was founded, slaves, people without property, women, and Native Americans did not have the right to vote. Over generations, laws and amendments have addressed these democratic oversight. The most sweeping and historical legislation was passed by Congress in 1965 -- the Voting Rights Act (VRA), which outlawed discrimination in voting, expanding expanded voting rights to African Americans, women and young people and removed barriers such as poll taxes.
Today, more than half a century later, many people still have difficulty accessing polls. In recent years, many states have passed laws making voting for certain populations especially difficult. These include voter ID laws, restrictions on opportunities to register, and reduced early voting options. Such laws have been known to suppress voting by the elderly, young people, poor people and people of color. The US Congress has repeatedly found that discrimination in voting continues, and has reauthorized the VRA four times, most recently in 2006.
The goal of the legislation has been subverted however, by a 2013 US Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder. That ruling invalidated an obligation – called preclearance – that required states with a history of discrimination in voting to have any proposed changes to their state’s voting laws to be reviewed by the federal government. States are no longer required to have a review of their proposed laws. This means that any communities facing discriminatory voting laws in their state must file suits themselves or rely on the Justice Department to challenge proposed laws.
As a result of Shelby, several states have passed a wave of laws that make voting cumbersome for poor people, people of color, and elderly people. In these states, laws that made it easier to register or cast have been revised, creating barriers to voting.
The struggle for full voting rights in the United States continues – and requires vigilance from everyone to make sure the UDHR vision of “full and equal suffrage” is ensured.
On June 20, the Court of Grave Crimes in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku handed down severe prison sentences to a team of independent journalists from Abzas Media, an outlet known for its hard-hitting investigative journalism.
The Trump administration has weaponized its bill to benefit the wealthiest US corporations by undermining global efforts to tax businesses fairly.
FIFA, the world soccer governing body, should press the Trump administration to reverse immigration policies that create serious human rights risks around the 2026 World Cup, 90 groups including Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to Gianni Infantino.
In June, the European Union, for the first time, raised concerns about El Salvador’s deteriorating situation at the UN Human Rights Council. The European Parliament then held a debate on President Nayib Bukele’s escalating crackdown against civil society groups.
Türkiye’s administrative court in the province of Kahramanmaraş should scrutinize whether the environmental impact assessment used to greenlight a coal power plant expansion there, adequately determined the harmful impact on environmental and health rights, Human Rights Watch said today in an amicus brief submitted to the court.
Next week, the United Nations Human Rights Council will vote on renewing the mandate of the independent expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. UN member states should support this resolution, which has important implications for everyone.
There has been almost no accountability for the deaths and grave injuries that occurred three years ago when security forces in Uzbekistan used unjustified force, including lethal force, to disperse mainly peaceful protesters in Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan’s autonomous republic.
Osman Kavala, the respected Turkish human rights defender, has been behind bars in Istanbul’s Silivri high security jail for almost eight years.
Bangladesh’s interim government has taken some positive steps to address the terrible legacy of enforced disappearances, but some of the hardest and most important steps remain to be taken, according to new advice last week from UN rights experts.
Recent attacks on girls and young women in South Sudan illustrate how they are at risk and lack adequate protections.
Widespread lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation puts the health and other rights of millions of Guatemalans, especially Indigenous people and women, at risk.
Five Cambodian environmental activists who have completed one year of their six to eight-year prison terms on baseless charges should be immediately and unconditionally released.
On the last day of its term, the United States Supreme Court issued a sweeping decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, finding that parents are entitled to opt their children out of school curricula that expose children to LGBT-inclusive books.
The withdrawal of five European countries from a longstanding and effective international treaty prohibiting antipersonnel landmines unnecessarily puts civilians at risk.
The budget reconciliation bill passed by the United States Senate today would extend tax cuts that disproportionately benefit the country’s wealthiest families while reducing spending on health and other public programs essential for human rights.
On June 26, 2025, about a dozen weapon-wielding men in Malawi attacked demonstrators peacefully protesting the government’s handling of upcoming national elections.
European Union member states led by France and Germany are walking back on their commitment to protect human rights and the environment in global supply chains.
This weekend in Hungary’s capital Budapest, Human Rights Watch staff witnessed the city transform—if only for one brilliant afternoon—into a beacon of resistance. Budapest Pride was more than a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights; it was a clear and courageous stand for democracy, dignity, and the rule of law.
Federal prosecutors in Rio de Janeiro should ask a court to issue an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin of Russia if he visits Brazil for the summit meeting on July 6 and 7, 2025 of BRICS, the Broad Democratic Front for Human Rights, a Brazilian organization, Truth Hounds, an Ukrainian organization, and Human Rights Watch, an international organization, said today.