In two weeks, voters will cast their ballots in the first national election without the Voting Rights Act’s strongest protections against racial discrimination in voting.

For far too many, that’s something to celebrate. From the moment the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, it has been under attack by those who never wanted our country to deliver on its promise of a free and fair democracy that affords everyone an equal opportunity to participate.

But after the Supreme Court’s 2013 decision in Shelby v. Holder, a succession of decisions have succeeded in weakening the act, most recently Louisiana v. Callais. Both decisions were argued before the Supreme Court by the Legal Defense Fund, where I am associate director-counsel.

The evisceration of these protections has left Black voters vulnerable to disenfranchisement by strict voter ID laws, targeted polling site changes, early voting restrictions and unrepentant redistricting schemes that dilute Black voting power.

Indeed, we are currently facing the greatest attack on voting rights since the height of the Jim Crow era. But we would do ourselves a grave disservice if we abandoned the principles of racial justice that helped create the blueprint of our multiracial democracy a mere 61 years ago. We cannot allow cynical, hyper-partisan maneuvering to upend a foundational tenet of our political system: that ours is a government of, by and for the people — all of us.

Black voters are not political pawns. We are not faceless masses waiting to be packed and cracked into districts that most efficiently benefit either party. We are not a means to an end.

Yet, if we continue down the path set before us, then this year may be the last time we see fair representation in dozens of districts. What was envisioned by the giants of the civil rights movement will come to a screeching halt as fair districts across the country vanish because of attacks on fair representation. We have already seen it in Tennessee, Louisiana and Alabama.

Where do we go from here? How do we proactively attack systemic barriers to equal opportunity while simultaneously playing defense against attacks on all sides?

It is time to think big, think boldly and start reimagining elections that work for the people, not the politicians. There may be no magic wand that works in every locale throughout the vast number of communities across the country. But we certainly should take hold of every tool in our toolbox.

In communities where Black voters cohesively support the same candidates yet are consistently underrepresented, proven and successful strategic reforms like ranked choice voting, cumulative voting, limited voting and more have the potential to provide pathways at the local level for Black voters to have equal opportunities to elect candidates of choice. These formats have been shown to increase turnout when implemented in local elections.

While we deploy creative tools for election reform, we must also continue to oppose redistricting schemes that seek to draw Black voters and representatives out of power, just like we did in South Carolina and Georgia.

Notwithstanding the Supreme Court’s Callais decision, the Legal Defense Fund continues to fight in the courts for fair districts that provide voters of color the opportunity to elect representatives of choice. And we’ve had recent successes here, like our defense of the sole majority-Black judicial subdistrict in DeSoto County, Mississippi.

Attacks at the federal level can be defended by Congress’ passage of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act — a piece of legislation that would not only restore but strengthen provisions of the original Voting Rights Act that serve to protect Black voters from disenfranchisement campaigns like the ones we’re witnessing right now.

And at the state level, we must continue to throw our resources behind passing, enacting and ensuring funding of state Voting Rights Acts that provide key protections for constituents against discrimination in voting at the local level. In 2026, the Legal Defense Fund helped enact four separate state Voting Rights Acts (in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and California) for the first time in history.

We can also continue to partner with national, state and local organizations to mobilize community members to make our voices heard, just like we did in Alabama during All Roads Lead to the South and in Washington D.C. during this year’s March on Washington.

Taken together, these reforms can offer meaningful opportunities for Black voters to fight back against insidious efforts to turn back the clock and eliminate Black political participation altogether.

On our long march for fair representation, we must demand voting reforms rooted in justice and reject attempts to manipulate our electoral systems to promote partisan gains at the expense of Black representation. History has shown us that when we center fair and equal representation, we are able to achieve a democracy that works for everyone.

For too long, voting rights and ballot access have been considered under the very partisan conditions that plague our system. When we think about the winners and losers of voting rights, if we keep letting politicians decide where the power lies, we all lose.

Todd A. Cox is associate director-counsel of the Legal Defense Fund. Cox has more than 30 years of experience in racial and social justice, having held leadership roles in law, philanthropy, and government.