Know Your Rights

Your Constitutional Foundation

The rights described on this page are grounded in a just a few foundational documents. They are shorter than you might expect — and very powerful.

• The U.S. Constitution — the supreme law of the land. Read it at the National Archives
• The Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments) — freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly; protection from unreasonable search and seizure; the right to due process. Read it at the National Archives.
• The 14th Amendment — equal protection under the law for all persons. The legal foundation for most civil rights law. Read it at the Constitution Annotated (Library of Congress).
• The 15th, 19th, and 26th Amendments — the right to vote, extended to formerly enslaved people (1870), women (1920), and 18-year-olds (1971). All Amendments at the National Archives.

For deeper reading, the National Constitution Center offers plain-language explanations, and Cornell Law’s Legal Information Institute provides full texts annotated with case law.

Voting Rights

The right to vote is the foundation of everything else. We must use it, and we must protect it.

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, it’s time to confirm your registration and make your plan to vote. Every seat in the U.S. House and many Senate seats are on the ballot this year.

Vermont Voters’ Rights & Registration

Vermont Makes Voting Straightforward.

• No ID is required to vote in person (provided that you verified your identity at registration)
• Vermont automatically mails ballots to all registered voters before each general election
• You can register — or update your registration — right up through Election Day

Check your registration or register now: Vermont Voter Portal (Vermont Secretary of State)

Find your polling location: Vermont Secretary of State — Voter Information

National Voting Resources

• Vote.gov — official federal voter information site
• Democracy Docket — tracks voting rights litigation across the country in real time
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund — Voting Rights — voting rights protection and resources

The SAVE Act

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (aka the SAVE Act or SAVE America Act) is a Federal bill that would fundamentally change how Americans register to vote. It is currently being debated in Congress. More

Protest Rights

You have the right to speak out, march, and make your voice heard.

The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, the press, peaceful assembly, and the right to petition the government. These rights apply in public spaces — streets, sidewalks, parks — regardless of whether officials agree with your message.

ACLU Know Your Protest Rights Card

Download this concise, printable reference for what you can and cannot be required to do when stopped by police or authorities at a protest:

→ Download the ACLU Know Your Protest Rights card (PDF)

Resources Key Points About Protest Rights

• You do not need a permit to protest in response to breaking news, or to march on sidewalks, as long as you are not blocking traffic or building access.
• You have the right to photograph anything in plain view in a public space, including police.
• If stopped, ask if you are free to go. If yes, calmly walk away.
• If arrested, say you wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer. Do not sign anything without a lawyer present.
• These rights apply regardless of your immigration status.

Women’s Rights

Women’s rights, particularly reproductive rights, are under active legal challenge across the country. Rights that have been settled law for fifty or more years are now being contested, state by state — even women’s voting rights are being challenged again!

The Legal Landscape

• Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the Federal constitutional right to abortion and returning the issue to states.
• Vermont’s constitution explicitly protects reproductive autonomy — Article 22 of the Vermont Constitution guarantees “personal reproductive autonomy”.
• Nationally, the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project continues to litigate on multiple fronts.

Resources About Reproductive Rights

• ACLU — Reproductive Freedom: current cases, with state-by-state status.
• Planned Parenthood — abortion laws by state.
• KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) — nonpartisan policy research on reproductive health.

Rights Beyond Reproductive Rights

Women’s rights encompass the right to vote, equal pay, freedom from workplace discrimination, Title IX protections in education, and more. The ACLU Women’s Rights Project covers the full range.

Immigrants’ Rights

Regardless of your immigration status, you have rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

This is not a political statement — it is the established interpretation of the 4th, 5th, and 14th Amendments, confirmed by decades of court decisions. The right to remain silent, the right to due process, and the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure apply to everyone on U.S. soil.

If Approached by Immigration Agents

• You have the right to remain silent.
• You do not have to answer questions about your status.
• You have the right to refuse consent to a search of your home without a warrant signed by a judge.
• You have the right to speak to a lawyer.
• Do not sign anything without consulting a lawyer first.

Resources

• ACLU Vermont — Vermont-specific resources and legal support contacts
• ACLU — Immigrants’ Rights (Know Your Rights) — updated June 2026, available in Spanish
• Vermont Legal Aid — free civil legal help for Vermonters, including immigration matters

In the Champlain Islands, these are not abstract concerns. Many of our community members are directly affected. If you know someone who needs help, the resources above are the right starting point.

Race & Civil Rights

The promise of equal protection under the law — written into the 14th Amendment after the Civil War — has never been fully realized, and is actively contested today. Civil rights law covers discrimination in employment, housing, education, and voting based on race, color, national origin, and other protected characteristics.

Key Rights Laws

• The Civil Rights Act of 1964 — prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
• The Fair Housing Act of 1968 — prohibits discrimination in housing.
• The Voting Rights Act of 1965 — now significantly weakened by recent Supreme Court rulings

Resources

• NAACP — Know Your Rights — civil rights resources; your rights during interaction with law enforcement.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund — active litigation on civil rights and voting rights.
• ACLU — Racial Justice — current cases and resources.
• U.S. Department of Justice — Civil Rights Division — Federal civil rights enforcement; file a complaint here if you believe your rights were violated.