American Voter Project: One Person, One Vote in the U.S. Today

Voting is fundamental to democracy, but American trust in “one person one vote” has been compromised in recent years by Electoral College outcomes, allegations of voter suppression and voter fraud, and gerrymandering of Congressional boundaries. Concerns about election hacking will only increase as voting becomes more digitized. This series of events will bring together scholars, politicians, journalists, activists, artists, students, and community members to discuss key issues that influence American voting today.

The rule of one person one vote promotes the idea that the voice of every citizen counts equally in our system of democracy. With a U.S. government that is meant to be “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” the core values of equality and individualism are fully reflected in this rule meant to protect every vote and the essence of true democracy.

Given that issues of discrimination, gerrymandering, voter suppression, and voter fraud are constantly surfacing in ways that cause U.S. citizens to doubt that their vote matters, it is important for us to discuss where the rule of one person one vote stands in the midst of our current political climate. Join us for our panel discussion as we contemplate the steps we must take to move towards election systems that guarantee that every vote counts.

Join the Holder Initiative for a student reception (5:00–6:00 p.m.), followed by a panel discussion about one person, one vote in the U.S. today (6:00-7:00 p.m.).

Panelists:
Eric H. Holder Jr. CC'73, LAW'76; 82nd Attorney General of the United States
Heather Gerken, Dean and the Sol and Lillian Goldman Professor of Law at Yale Law School
Adam Liptak, Supreme Court correspondent of The New York Times

*Panelists subject to change.