On 105th Anniversary of Ratification of 19th Amendment, a Woman’s Right to Vote is Under Threat

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 18, 2025

FARGO – 105 years ago today, the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote. While this right was thus enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, many states used poll taxes and literacy tests to block Black Women and Americans of other minority groups from voting. Native Americans and Asian Americans were not recognized as U.S. citizens until the Snyder Act of 1924 and the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, respectively.

This sacred right, which most take as a given, is now being called into question by some with close access to the Trump Administration. Earlier this month, Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted a video of his pastor saying women shouldn’t have the right to vote. Hegseth’s pastor also said, “Women are the kind of people that people come out of. It doesn’t take any talent to simply reproduce biologically.”

Democratic-NPL Executive Director Cheryl Biller said, “Virtually all Americans believe in a woman’s right to vote, and think that suffragettes like Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Ida B. Wells have earned their place as heroes in the story of our country. But now, with people in this administration promoting the idea of abolishing the 19th Amendment, it’s time to ring the alarm. The Voting Rights Act has been under attack since its inception, but the Trump administration has taken the assault on our voting rights even further. Trump wants to eliminate vote-by-mail, which will hurt rural North Dakotans, older folks, and those with disabilities. The Democratic-NPL will continue to honor the legacy of the Women’s Suffrage Movement by calling out those who want to take us backwards and fighting to protect the fundamental right of every citizen to vote.”

CONTACT:
Laura Dronen
Communications Director
laura.dronen@demnpl.com