Civil rights groups rally on National Mall to defend voting rights before midterms
Thousands will gather on the National Mall for the 2026 “Defend the Vote” march, organized by Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, to protest recent voting-law changes and redistricting.
On Friday, the National Mall will host the 2026 “Defend the Vote” March on Washington, co-led by Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, drawing thousands of activists to demand protection of Black voting power ahead of the midterm elections. The demonstration comes after the Supreme Court’s April decision in Louisiana v. Callais, which reinterpreted the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and allowed Southern states to redraw congressional maps that erode Black representation.
Sharpton emphasized the march’s heightened significance because the federal voting-rights bill has been struck down. The event will feature a lineup of speakers such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and will be attended by civil-rights groups like the NAACP, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Black Voters Matter, which have lodged new federal lawsuits against a Trump executive order limiting mail-in voting.
Rep. Cleo Fields, whose district was reshaped by the Court’s ruling, and Rep. Shomari Figures, whose Alabama district faced similar redistricting, will also address the crowd. Organizers hope the march will spur grassroots organizing and legal challenges to protect voting access.
Why it matters
The protest highlights growing concerns that recent court rulings and redistricting threaten Black voters' influence in upcoming elections.
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