The “Vicious Voter” and Racial Authoritarianism in American Law

• In Event: Democracy and Education: Authoritarianism, Resistance, and Racial Justice

Abstract

This paper investigates how legal myths of voter unworthiness—rooted in racialized narratives—undermine the development of an inclusive democratic system. The enduring myth of the “vicious voter,” a trope used historically to justify disenfranchisement, continues to influence election law, redistricting, and voting rights debates. Framed through critical race theory, the analysis traces how these legal structures reinforce racial exclusion and maintain authoritarian control over democratic participation.
For education scholars, this work offers insight into how legal doctrines shape the civic landscape that schools are meant to serve. As education systems prepare citizens for democratic engagement, they do so within a broader legal framework that often constrains full political inclusion. By analyzing the legal construction of voting access and political agency, the paper links education, law, and democracy—illuminating the systemic barriers that restrict multiracial democratic futures and the educational narratives that support or challenge them.

Author

• Atiba Ellis, Case Western Reserve University