John Lewis Quotes

Trumpeting the importance of voting deludes people into thinking that they have a leash on the government.

I think if people value democracy, they had damn well better get out and exercise their right to vote while their vote still means something.

I've said it in the past and I'll say it again today: the vote is precious; it's almost sacred.

The rational and peaceable instrument of reform, the suffrage of the people.

Citizenship means standing up for everyone's right to vote.***

I have come to see more and more that one of the most decisive steps that the Negro can take is that little walk to the voting booth. That is an important step. We've got to gain the ballot, and through that gain, political power.

Let us never forget that government is ourselves and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.

Every citizen of this country should be guaranteed that their vote matters, that their vote is counted, and that in the voting booth, their vote has a much weight as that of any CEO, any member of Congress, or any President.

The right to vote freely for the candidate of one’s choice is of the essence of a democratic society, and any restrictions on that right strike at the heart of representative government

Elections shall be open, free and equal, and no power, civil or military, shall at any time interfere to prevent an un-trammeled exercise of the right of suffrage.

Wherever you have votes, you have power.

Political discussions fly over the heads of those who have no votes, and are not endeavoring to acquire them.

It is not suffrage that gives life to democracy; it is our democratic society that gives life to suffrage.

The very act of voting is a political act.

If people want to take the time to vote, they should be able to, and their vote should be counted.

But all should know that the people's participation in the elections will take the country forward ... an election full of excitement will be a major blow to the enemy.

Take it from me - every vote counts. In our Democracy, every vote has power. And never forget - that power is yours. Don't let anyone take it away or talk you into throwing it away. And let's make sure that this time every vote is counted.

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.

If you don't vote, you don't count.

To make it hard, to make it difficult almost impossible for people to cast a vote is not in keeping with the democratic process.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was indeed a vital instrument of democracy, ensuring the integrity and reliability of a democratic process that we as a Country hold so dear.

All we have is our vote. But it's powerful.

The right to vote should be considered sacred in our democracy.

To me, it's not necessarily about whom you vote for, it's more about the fact that you go out and exercise that right. There's a lot of people who fight for our right to vote and people in other countries fighting for other peoples' right to vote and I think everyone should exercise that vote.

The fact that a man is to vote forces him to think.