Should the U.S. Constitutionalize the Right to Vote? LMU Debate Team Prepares Arguments for Social Justice Debates National Championship

Phoebe Till '26 and Kiara Williams '29, two students from LMU's debate team, will travel to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia to participate in the Social Justice Debates National Championship, March 13 through 15.

For purposes of debate, students will not focus on the political feasibility of adopting a constitutional amendment, but rather whether enshrining the right to vote would be the best way to combat voter suppression and disenfranchisement.

"This topic invites students to grapple with the very foundations of democratic participation," says Thomas Dowd, clinical associate professor of communication studies and debate team coach. "To prepare, students traced the evolution of voting rights and critically considered society's responsibility in regard to ensuring equal and meaningful political participation."

As the United States enters the 2026 midterm election season, the stakes of the topic are high. While the United States Constitution gives states discretion over eligibility and access, many have enacted restrictions that disproportionately affect marginalized groups. In office, President Trump has prioritized his attempt to further restrict voting through several executive orders, with goals to eliminate mail-in voting, change voting machine technology, and impose voter I.D. regulations. Though many of his orders have been blocked by the court, he continues to press on. He champions the SAVE Act, which, if passed, would add a layer of federal documentation requirements that could block millions of eligible voters who can't access their birth certificate or do not have a passport. He also recently called on Republicans to nationalize elections, a directive that, while in direct opposition of The Constitution, works to sow confusion and fear amongst citizens.

The stakes of debate as a practice in a thriving democracy are also high. "Debate has greatly expanded my knowledge of global issues and how to have productive, inclusive, and informed conversations and arguments about them," says Chloe Hanssen, a junior who has been on the team for three years. "Healthy debate is an important part of a democratic society because it prompts discussion and understanding pertinent to maintaining democracy, especially under this current administration."

"Debate gives students a structured way to confront the most urgent questions shaping our democracy. They're not just competing; they're practicing the kind of rigorous, ethical dialogue our society desperately needs right now," says interim Chair of Communication Studies Allison Noyes.

The location of this debate raises unique considerations for students as they prepare their arguments. Morehouse College, an HBCU and the nation's only historically Black private liberal arts college for men, is in Fulton County, which has a predominantly Black population, and is home to the election office recently involved in an FBI search and seizure of 2020 election ballots. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was involved and reportedly brokered communication between the agents and her boss, President Trump, who has been criticized for his erasure of Black history, and has gone on record saying Black voters like him because of his criminality.

While grappling with personal beliefs in relation to the chaotic realities of this contemporary socio-political period, students must trust the forensic methodology of debate to succeed in this forum. "The LMU debate team has a long history of success in myriad debate formats and events" says Dowd. The team has showcased adaptability across philosophical analysis (Lincoln-Douglas debate), in-depth policy research (policy debate), public persuasion (public forum debate), and legislative, spontaneous, and analytical discourse (parliamentary debate).

The Social Justice Debates National Championship will follow a civic debate format. Students will argue both sides of the issue. They will be allotted six minutes for speeches and four minutes for cross-examination before they conclude with a final rebuttal. Gilda Daniels, law professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, is the topic scholar for this year's tournament. As a leading expert in voter rights litigation and election reform, Daniels will draw from decades of experience as she chairs the final championship round.

"It's important to remember words have power and real-life effects," says Williams, a first-year student on the team. "My coach always emphasizes to us that we actually don't have to say anything that we don't agree with. It's more about what you think about the question - especially in policy debates."

Though the LMU debate team is poised for success - they have placed first in over two hundred invitational tournaments - the team's guiding objective is not about competition and winning arguments. "Debating is about trying to make the people around you walk away with a different perspective, having learned something new," says Hanssen.