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Uncounted: the Crisis of Voter Suppression in the United States
An answer to the assault on voting rights―crucial reading in light of the 2024 presidential election
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is considered one of the most effective pieces of legislation the United States has ever passed. It enfranchised hundreds of thousands of voters, particularly in the American South, and drew attention to the problem of voter suppression. Yet in recent years there has been a continuous assault on access to the ballot box in the form of stricter voter ID requirements, meritless claims of rigged elections, and baseless accusations of voter fraud. In the past these efforts were aimed at eliminating African American voters from the rolls, and today, new laws seek to eliminate voters of color, the poor, and the elderly, groups that historically vote for the Democratic Party.
Uncounted examines the phenomenon of disenfranchisement through the lens of history, race, law, and the democratic process. Gilda R. Daniels, who served as Deputy Chief in the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and has more than two decades of voting rights experience, argues that voter suppression works in cycles, constantly adapting and finding new ways to hinder access for an exponentially growing minority population. She warns that a premeditated strategy of restrictive laws and deceptive practices has taken root and is eroding the very basis of American democracy―the right to vote!
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is considered one of the most effective pieces of legislation the United States has ever passed. It enfranchised hundreds of thousands of voters, particularly in the American South, and drew attention to the problem of voter suppression. Yet in recent years there has been a continuous assault on access to the ballot box in the form of stricter voter ID requirements, meritless claims of rigged elections, and baseless accusations of voter fraud. In the past these efforts were aimed at eliminating African American voters from the rolls, and today, new laws seek to eliminate voters of color, the poor, and the elderly, groups that historically vote for the Democratic Party.
Uncounted examines the phenomenon of disenfranchisement through the lens of history, race, law, and the democratic process. Gilda R. Daniels, who served as Deputy Chief in the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and has more than two decades of voting rights experience, argues that voter suppression works in cycles, constantly adapting and finding new ways to hinder access for an exponentially growing minority population. She warns that a premeditated strategy of restrictive laws and deceptive practices has taken root and is eroding the very basis of American democracy―the right to vote!
272 pages, Hardcover
First published January 28, 2020
15 people are currently reading
372 people want to read
About the author
Gilda R. Daniels
2 books2 followersGilda Daniels is an Associate Professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. She is a nationally recognized voting rights and election law expert. She served as a Deputy Chief in the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section under the Clinton and Bush administrations. Professor Daniels has almost two decades of litigation, negotiation and consulting experience in the substantive voting rights area. She has investigated, negotiated and litigated cases involving the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the National Voter Registration Act and other voting statutes. While a Deputy Chief in the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section, she supervised, inter alia, the Tennessee NVRA case that continues to serve as a model for other NVRA actions and United States v. Berks County, PA, that was brought pursuant to Sections 2, 4(e), and 208 of the VRA. As a law professor, she continues to stay involved and abreast of voting rights issues. She has drafted and participated in amicus briefs filed in the United States Supreme Court, frequently consults on voting rights issues, and is well published.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 8, 2020
Uncounted: the Crisis of Voter Suppression is a work of nonfiction going over the many problems in the US voting system. It goes over the problems with voter ID, felon disenfranchisement, and much more.
The writing got repetitive at times and was a pain to get through. Other than that, I think this book is a great introduction to all the problems in the US voting system. I liked how the author would tell stories of people who experienced these voting issues firsthand, because it became easier to understand.
The writing got repetitive at times and was a pain to get through. Other than that, I think this book is a great introduction to all the problems in the US voting system. I liked how the author would tell stories of people who experienced these voting issues firsthand, because it became easier to understand.
February 9, 2020
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Uncounted from NYU Press (via Netgalley). Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!
I read this book for my Black History Month Challenge.
I’m not from the US and thus oftentimes I have only rudimentary knowledge of certain aspects but I’m very interested in the US, also because what happens there, impacts life in Europe as well. But even then, I would want to know more because I strive for justice for everyone, no matter if something impacts me or not.
I follow a number of diverse people on Twitter, especially African Americans, and learn how politics affects them. Since right-wing terrorism and fascism are spreading, I thought that it would be interesting and important to learn how voter disenfranchisement in the US actually works. I knew the barebones so this book really helped me in understanding how marginalized voters, especially Black voters, have historically been disenfranchised and how politics affect their right to vote today.
I was, for example, ignorant about the fact that Black male voters could already theoretically vote by 1870. Not having learned anything about Black rights at school (despite higher education…I guess Black civil rights is not important enough for many European countries and that is a huge mistake) and sadly only now filling in the gaps, it was this book that taught me about Black voting rights and the Civil Rights Act.
When Black men got the right to vote, they immediately used their new found right, despite the numerous obstacles, some administrative and others outright dangerous. White people, especially in the South, threatened Black voters and, as Daniels explains, some Black voters were even killed by white supremacists. People were literally killed for using their right to vote or to register to vote. The intimidation tactics also included: humiliation, violence, and loss of employment.
When Black people entered local and state government, racists were unhappy with the development and immediately started to create the first legal implementations of voter suppression. On top of bodily harm, they introduced bills and laws that purged Black voters from voting rolls, like the poll tax.
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Read the rest of the review on my blog because it's too long for GR
I read this book for my Black History Month Challenge.
I’m not from the US and thus oftentimes I have only rudimentary knowledge of certain aspects but I’m very interested in the US, also because what happens there, impacts life in Europe as well. But even then, I would want to know more because I strive for justice for everyone, no matter if something impacts me or not.
I follow a number of diverse people on Twitter, especially African Americans, and learn how politics affects them. Since right-wing terrorism and fascism are spreading, I thought that it would be interesting and important to learn how voter disenfranchisement in the US actually works. I knew the barebones so this book really helped me in understanding how marginalized voters, especially Black voters, have historically been disenfranchised and how politics affect their right to vote today.
I was, for example, ignorant about the fact that Black male voters could already theoretically vote by 1870. Not having learned anything about Black rights at school (despite higher education…I guess Black civil rights is not important enough for many European countries and that is a huge mistake) and sadly only now filling in the gaps, it was this book that taught me about Black voting rights and the Civil Rights Act.
When Black men got the right to vote, they immediately used their new found right, despite the numerous obstacles, some administrative and others outright dangerous. White people, especially in the South, threatened Black voters and, as Daniels explains, some Black voters were even killed by white supremacists. People were literally killed for using their right to vote or to register to vote. The intimidation tactics also included: humiliation, violence, and loss of employment.
When Black people entered local and state government, racists were unhappy with the development and immediately started to create the first legal implementations of voter suppression. On top of bodily harm, they introduced bills and laws that purged Black voters from voting rolls, like the poll tax.
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Read the rest of the review on my blog because it's too long for GR
January 12, 2024
Fairly repetitive, but informative nonetheless. Cut 50 pages from the first half and add it to the last chapter
February 21, 2020
Actually did not finish. The writing was repetitive. I found the insertions regarding the author's grandparents disconcerting rather than necessary to the work.
July 25, 2020
This was pretty dry and repetitive, but it was still very informative and really confirmed for me that New York has a huge voter suppression problem.
April 28, 2021
I wanted to like this, and I agree with the author's general thesis and a lot of her points, but this is a really poorly written book. Too many sentences start with "Additionally," "Moreover," and other similar filler words. Basic math is wrong (for instance, 520k of 1.5 million is not 23%, page 159). Sentences will repeat the prior sentence's point with only a few words changed. Anecdotes are presented in lieu of hard data, rather than alongside them. The tone will change within paragraphs, from analysis to rabble-rousing. Copy-editing appears non-existent. There are block quotes throughout an already short book.
I'm just disappointed, because voter suppression is a huge deal, and this reads like a first draft an undergrad put together - relying on block quotes, filler words, and repetition to create something that is neither analytic nor inspiring, just a missed opportunity.
I'm just disappointed, because voter suppression is a huge deal, and this reads like a first draft an undergrad put together - relying on block quotes, filler words, and repetition to create something that is neither analytic nor inspiring, just a missed opportunity.
September 1, 2024
A pretty good summary of the current Republican efforts to disenfranchise and suppress voters across the country. It's concise, accessible, and Daniels explains the legal elements - particularly court cases - very well. I would have loved to see a chapter on gerrymandering, which is the only topic she misses. Gerrymandering is a critical element to suppressing the vote and I think it would have been a great supplement to the chapter on changing demographics (or a replacement for that chapter). But overall, a great place to start if you're looking to learn more about this on-going assault on one of our most fundamental rights as citizens in a democracy.
May 8, 2025
Had to read this for a uni subject. The low score isn't to say that I don't agree with the concerns raised in the novel (I do) but it reflects how poor of a reading experience this book is. A good editor could have cut it's length by 50% at the very least, there's some passages of very poor writing, and it also peddles the garbage idea that Lincoln only freed the slaves to keep the Union together, and not because he actually was interested in freeing them.
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June 7, 2020To reform or revolution? This book told us the importance of both, we must keep reminding ourselves of a common goal for equity and shape our way to tackle.
Vote ID and poll tax are the devils covered by police abolishment, it is so important to expand the battle fields for justice and make these facts accessible for those who are still centralist.
Vote ID and poll tax are the devils covered by police abolishment, it is so important to expand the battle fields for justice and make these facts accessible for those who are still centralist.
August 31, 2020
This book did a good job of explaining the Republican Party's suppression of voters that likely vote for the opposite party. The Supreme Court in a decision in 2010 was a significant cause of this suppression. An example was for several elections, early voting in Indianapolis was suppressed by only allowing it in a downtown location (parking was expense) for a very limited time period.
December 8, 2020
Even though this is a super important topic, unfortunately this book is incredibly dry and somewhat repetitive. I actually think other books about antiracism do a better job of briefly touching on voter suppression efforts and the push to disenfranchise specifically black voters than this book which is all about voter suppression.
February 13, 2021
Very good overview on the many ways that voter suppression in the US has been carried out over the past 50 years. The author does a good job on explaining the birth of the 1965 voting rights act and how the original intent of the law was eroded over time due to nefarious actions on the behalf of Republicans to limit access to voting from minorities.
November 29, 2020
I am finally learning and understanding more about voter suppression and it's many different forms. This book was very informative, at least for a newbie like me. It did read somewhat academically at times but that did not detract from the overall message.
March 22, 2020
It’s a decent primer.
June 10, 2020
Dazzling but dizzying. Daniels backs up her claims with many, if not too many, statistics and facts, hindering her historical sweep.
February 27, 2022
A good overview of the many ways people's votes can be suppressed, and an explanation how most of them target people of color. Disturbing, of course, and an encouragement to take action.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews