Driving the Vote for Equality
Historic 1914 Suffrage Car in Chicago for 2026 Driving the Vote for Equality Tour Connecting Voting Rights to the Equal Rights Amendment
Chicago Organizers Activate Supporters to Demand Congressional Action.
A historic 1914 Saxon automobile known as the “Golden Flyer II” will arrive in Chicago as part of the national 2026 Driving the Vote for Equality Tour, a 10,700 miles cross-country journey across 25 states to secure voting rights for all and push for recognition of the Equal Rights Amendment.
The tour draws inspiration from the remarkable 1916 cross-country journey of suffragists Alice Burke and Nell Richardson, who traveled the nation by automobile advocating for women’s right to vote at a time when the federal amendment was stalled, as the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is stalled today.
The Chicago stop will feature public appearances, media availability, civic engagement events, and visual opportunities with the restored antique roadster against iconic Chicago backdrops.
Organizers will connect the campaign of the original 1916 journey in Illinois to the fight today to keep full voting rights for all and recognize the ERA. Organizers are working with community members on Sign4ERA.org, a national petition drive hoping to have 1 million signatures by Election Day.
MONDAY, MAY 18
1:00 p.m. Press Conference at the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, 930 East 50th Street, Chicago
Speakers include Yusef Jackson, President and CEO of Rainbow/PUSH; Reverend Bobby Lewis; Reverend Dr. Janette Wilson; Congressional ERA Champion, former Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York City, founder of ERA NOW; and Laura Welsch, National Board Member, National Organization for Women (NOW). Women's rights leaders from the Chicago area will issue statements on their continued fight for ERA as they hear how the Suffrage Tour helped secure the 19thAmendment. The 1916 Saxon will be parked in front of the venue for people to see the car, take selfies and sign the ERA petition.
TUESDAY, MAY 19
The 1916 Saxton – the Golden Flyer II - will be driving to various locations around Chicago with historic significance to women’s rights starting at Maggie Daley Park at 11:00 a.m., Women and Children First, the Ida B. Wells statue and the Women’s Park.
BACKGROUND:
In 1916, suffragists Alice Burke and Nell Richardson became the first women to drive across the country traveling more than 10,500 miles to advocate for women’s voting rights at a time when the federal amendment was stalled.
Recognition of the federal Equal Rights Amendment is at a standstill today. After more than a century of advocacy and action, women still do not have full constitutional equality under the law.
The Driving the Vote for Equality Tour is retracing that spirit of activism—using history to inspire action today. The Tour started on March 1 in New York City and has stopped in 18 states motivating ERA supporters to re-double their efforts. See stories about each stop at www.DrivingTheVote.org.
“In 1916, two women drove across America to win the vote. They succeeded. In 2026, we’re driving again because equality under the Constitution remains unfinished business, and we will win,” says ERA NOW founder the Honorable Carolyn Maloney of New York.
Thirty-eight states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, fulfilling every constitutional requirement. ERA NOW and other supporters are pushing Congress for a Joint Resolution to affirm and recognize the ERA as the 28th Amendment, thus eliminating any uncertainties about an arbitrary time limit.
The Driving the Vote for Equality Tour aims to collect one million petition signatures by Election Day 2026 and build the Congressional majority needed to finish the work the suffragists began over a century ago.
