We live in a time where the right to vote typically isn’t given much thought. However, that has not always been the case. Since America’s founding days, when voting was limited to white male property owners, to the transformative Voting Rights Act of 1965, to sweeping voting process reform introduced in the early 2000s, the right to vote in U.S. elections has seen massive change.
The right to vote has oftentimes been a source of division in this country, and the strides made toward equity have been hard-won for many Americans. As we prepare to vote in just a few short weeks in one of the most historically significant and closely watched presidential elections of the 21st century, we should pause to remember that the rights we take for granted weren’t always a right.
Below is a summary of some of the most significant changes and advancements in the U.S. voting rights process.
August 2, 1776: Declaration of Independence Frames Voters’ Rights
July 9, 1868: Citizenship Granted to All U.S.-Born and Naturalized
February 3, 1870: Black Men Granted the Right to Vote
The 15th Amendment is ratified, granting Black men the right to vote and Congress the power to enforce the right. However, laws, including poll taxes, literacy tests and grandfather clauses, are enacted in mostly Southern states, suppressing Black voting rights until 1965.
August 18, 1920: Women Get the Right to Vote
After decades of protest and struggles for change, the 19th Amendment is adopted, granting American women the right to vote: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” However, its passage does not stop mostly Southern states from restricting minority women from voting through the passage of discriminatory laws.
June 2, 1924: Native Americans Granted the Right to Vote
Congress enacts the Indian Citizenship Act, granting the right to vote to Native Americans born in the United States. Despite its passage, some states continue to bar Native Americans from voting.
1943 Chinese Exclusion Act Ends
In the wake of World War II, when the United States and China had operated as allies, the Chinese Exclusion Act, which had barred Chinese from becoming citizens since 1882, is finally repealed. Chinese immigrants and their American-born families become the first Asian Americans eligible to naturalize and gain citizenship—and vote.
January 23, 1964: Poll Taxes Banned
The 24th Amendment is ratified, prohibiting the use of poll taxes in federal elections. “There can be no one too poor to vote,” President Lyndon Johnson says during a ceremony announcing the amendment.
August 6, 1965: Voting Rights Act
President Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act into law, banning literacy tests and enforcing the 15th Amendment on a federal level. It also provides for federal examiners who can register voters in certain jurisdictions. Facing a flurry of legal challenges, the U.S. Supreme Court upholds its constitutionality in a number of rulings from 1965-1969. In 1970, Section 5 is extended for five years.
July 1, 1971: 18 and Up Can Vote
The 26th Amendment is signed by President Richard Nixon, granting the right to vote to U.S. citizens who are 18 or older. Prohibiting discrimination based on age, it lowers the age from 21, largely in reaction to the number of 18-to-20-year-olds fighting in Vietnam.
August 6, 1975: Rights for Non-English-Speaking Voters
In addition to establishing a permanent ban on literacy tests and other discriminatory voting requirements, amendments to the Voting Rights Act are signed into law by President Gerald Ford requiring districts with significant numbers of non-English-speaking voters to be provided with instructions or assistance in registering and voting.
June 29, 1982: Voting Rights Act Extended
President Ronald Reagan signs a 25-year extension of the Voting Rights Act. Revisions also reverse recent decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court, making voting easier for people with disabilities and the elderly.
September 28, 1984: Voting Is Made Accessible
The Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984 is signed into law by Reagan, requiring polling places in federal elections to be accessible for people with disabilities and the elderly. It also states that if no accessible location is available, an alternative way to vote on Election Day must be offered.
Source: www.history.com
Categorized in: General
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