Safeguarding Free and Fair Elections – Resources for Social Workers
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”
—Martin Luther King Jr.
Access to free and fair elections is the cornerstone of our democracy, allowing the people of this country to determine the government leaders, programs, and policies that guide us as a
nation. Seminal milestones linked to voting rights include the 15th Amendment, which granted African American men the right to vote; the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote; and the Voting Rights Act (1965), which protected African Americans from Jim Crow era voting interference.
But that access, and the power that comes with it, is being chipped away.
In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that a key provision of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional, decimating decades of progress in promoting access to the polls for Black and minority voters. In 2026, the Court weakened the Act again, striking down Louisiana’s second majority-Black congressional district and diluting the voting power of minority communities even further. And an aggressive voting interference strategy driven by the Trump administration is now threatening the integrity of our electoral processes, just as the 2026 midterms take place and 2028 presidential election comes into focus.
NASW fully understands these threats and is engaging with our coalition partners in the fight against them. The resources on this website highlight these efforts and can be used by social workers to protect voting rights in their own work. NASW will continue to provide information and updates on these issues to ensure that the communities we serve have access to the voting booth for generations to come.
Resources on Election Interference Tactics
Overview of Election Interference
Campaign Legal Center - 2024 Election Subversion Report.pdf
Protect Democracy - Preparing for federal interference in the 2026 midterm elections
Executive Orders and Federal Bills
Executive Order 14248 — Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections
Brennan Center for Justice - Status of Trump’s 2025 Anti-Voting Executive Order
Brennan Center for Justice - The Bad Voting Bill that Refuses to Die
Forbes - Why The SAVE America Act Could Create New Obstacles For Millions Of Voters
Redistricting /Gerrymandering
Brennan Center for Justice - Supreme Court Sets Off Gerrymandering Frenzy
Legal Defense Fund - Voting Rights Groups Vehemently Denounce Supreme Court Order Reinstating Intentionally Discriminatory Alabama Congressional Map and Seek Emergency Relief
Voter Intimidation
Brennan Center for Justice - Guide to Laws Against Intimidation of Voters and Election Workers
Brennan Center for Justice - Federal Laws Protecting Against Intimidation and Election Interference
Brennan Center for Justice - Intimidation of State and Local Officeholder
Georgetown Law, Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection - Fact Sheet: Protecting Against Voter Intimidation
Attacks on Mail-in Voting
American Civil Liberties Union - Voting Rights Groups Challenge Executive Order on Mail-In Ballots as Illegal Interference in Elections
Politico - Postal Service would restrict mail-in voting under Trump proposal
Resources for Preserving Protection of Free and Fair Elections
National Archives - Voting Rights Act of 1965
Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights - Civil Rights Leaders Respond to Supreme Court Decision in Louisiana v. Callais: Louisiana v. Callais
SCOTUS Blog - Fighting back after the gutting of the Voting Rights Act
League of Women Voters - SCOTUS's Final Blow Dismantling the Voting Rights Act
Brennan Center for Justice - John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act
Brennan Center for Justice - Freedom to Vote Act