Download
1 / 29
E N D
from the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”
Expanding Voting Rights • during the colonial period and early years of the nation, suffrage was limited to white men who owned property
suffrage – right to vote • enfranchisement – giving the right to vote to a person or group
In Whom Is the Right of Suffrage? Benjamin Franklin, arguing against property qualifications for voting, used the humorous story of a man and his jackass to make a powerful point.
Today a man owns a jackass worth fifty dollars and he is entitled to vote; but before the next election the jackass dies. The man in the mean time has become more experienced, his knowledge of the principles of government, and his acquaintance with mankind, are more extensive, and he is therefore better qualified to make a proper selection of rulers—but the jackass is dead and the man cannot vote. Now, gentlemen, pray inform me, in whom is the right of suffrage? In the man or in the jackass?
African–American Suffrage • 15th Amendment (1870) • first effort to extend suffrage to African–Americans • no citizen can be deprived the right to vote • most states in the South, and some outside the South, made it almost impossible to exercise the right
Voting Discrimination • literacy test • 1882 – South Carolina adopted the first form of a literacy test • would be more difficult for blacks – in a foreign language
grandfather clause • could only vote if grandfather could vote before 1867 • Guinn v. United States (1915) • struck down Oklahoma’s grandfather clause as a ruse to evade the 15th Amendment
poll tax • amount charged to vote • significant portion of income • Breedlove v. Suttles (1937) • “payment of poll taxes as a prerequisite to voting is a familiar & reasonable regulation long enforced in many states”
Woman Suffrage • 1867-1868 , no reference to women is included in the 14th & 15th Amendments • 19th Amendment – 1920 • officially gave women the right to vote • 1984, Mississippi is final state to ratify the 19th Amendment
24th Amendment (1964) • eliminated the poll tax
Voting Rights Act of 1965 • outlawed discrimination against all minorities by banning literacy tests
requires states, counties, and cities with significant numbers of voters who do not speak English to provide voting materials and assistance in appropriate languages • requires states and counties with a history of discrimination to be monitored by the Justice Department
26th Amendment • with the escalation of the Vietnam War came increased pressure to lower the voting age from 21 to 18
young people argued that if they were old enough to die for their country, they were also old enough to vote for the leaders who sent them to war
Congress proposed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971, and it was ratified by 3/4 of the states on July 1, 1971—the fastest ever
Influences on Voters • personal background • age • education • religion • racial or ethnic background
cross-pressured voters • caught between conflicting elements from their personal life
Rock the Vote’s Golden Rules for Registering to Vote • If you are not yet 18, you still may be able to register to vote, especially if you will be 18 by the next election
Register to vote at your current address • If you move, you will need to re-register at your new address • (If you are going to college, when the time comes, you can register to vote at your college address or keep your registration at your current address)
You can register to vote as a member of a political party • In some states, you have to be registered as a member of a political party to participate in a primary election
