Malcolm Rivera
The original U.S. Constitution did not define who could vote, leaving the issue to the states. For much of American history, this right was often granted to some but denied to others. However, through a series of amendments to the Constitution, the right to vote has expanded over time. The 15th Amendment (1870) extended voting rights to men of all races, the 19th Amendment (1920) prohibited the states from denying the vote on the basis of sex, the 24th Amendment (1964) removed barriers to voting by prohibiting a poll tax, and the 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age for all elections to 18.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| 15th Amendment | Gave African American men the right to vote in 1870 |
| 19th Amendment | Gave women the right to vote in 1920 |
| 24th Amendment | Eliminated poll taxes in 1964 |
| 26th Amendment | Lowered the voting age to 18 in 1971 |
| Voting Rights Act of 1965 | Prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or membership in a language minority group |
| National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 | Created new ways to register to vote and mandated states to maintain accurate voter registration lists |
| Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 | Authorized federal funding for elections and established the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) |
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What You'll Learn
- The 15th Amendment (1870) gave African American men the right to vote
- The 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote
- The 24th Amendment (1964) removed barriers to voting by prohibiting poll tax
- The Voting Rights Act (1965) prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language
- The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18
The 15th Amendment (1870) gave African American men the right to vote
The Fifteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, ratified on February 3, 1870, was the last of the Reconstruction Amendments. It states that the right to vote "shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, colour, or previous condition of servitude". In other words, the 15th Amendment granted all male citizens of the United States the right to vote, regardless of their race or prior slave status.
The 15th Amendment was a significant step forward in expanding voting rights to African American men. Before its ratification, the right to vote was often restricted to white male property owners. While some states and cities allowed free African Americans and women to vote, they were few in number and scattered across the Northern states. The 13th and 14th Amendments, passed after the Civil War, expanded civil rights for African Americans, and the election of Ulysses S. Grant to the presidency in 1868 further propelled the movement toward voting rights for African Americans.
Despite the 15th Amendment's guarantee of voting rights for African American men, many were still unable to exercise this right due to discriminatory practices and laws. Southern states enacted "Jim Crow" laws, which included poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and intimidation by the Ku Klux Klan, effectively disenfranchising African Americans. By the 20th century, the majority of African Americans in the South had little to no electoral power.
The 15th Amendment laid the groundwork for further expansions of voting rights, including the 19th Amendment (1920), which prohibited denying the right to vote based on sex, and the 24th Amendment (1964), which eliminated poll taxes as a voting requirement. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 further secured voting rights for adult citizens of all races and genders by enforcing these constitutional amendments through federal laws.
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The 19th Amendment (1920) gave women the right to vote
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave American women the right to vote. The amendment was first introduced to Congress in 1878 and was finally certified 42 years later. The 19th Amendment prohibits the United States and its states from denying any citizen the right to vote based on their sex.
The campaign for women's suffrage was long and difficult. Between 1878 and 1920, supporters of voting rights for women worked tirelessly, but the strategies for achieving this goal varied. Some pursued a strategy of passing suffrage acts in each state, while others challenged male-only voting laws in the courts. Many suffragists used more confrontational tactics such as picketing, silent vigils, and hunger strikes. They often met fierce resistance and were heckled, jailed, and sometimes physically abused.
By 1916, almost all of the major suffrage organizations were united behind the goal of a constitutional amendment. On May 21, 1919, the House of Representatives passed the amendment, and two weeks later, the Senate followed. When Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment on August 18, 1920, the amendment officially became part of the Constitution.
However, it is important to note that the 19th Amendment did not ensure full enfranchisement for all women. While the Amendment protected all women from discrimination on paper, in practice, it only gave white women the right to vote. Black women, Native American women, Asian American women, and women from other racial and ethnic minority groups continued to face discrimination and voter suppression for several decades. It wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 that discrimination against women based on race, ethnicity, or disability status was prohibited, and women's right to vote was truly protected.
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The 24th Amendment (1964) removed barriers to voting by prohibiting poll tax
The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on January 23, 1964, removed barriers to voting by prohibiting poll taxes. This amendment was significant in that it abolished poll taxes as a requirement for voting in federal elections. The official text of the amendment states:
> "The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll tax or other tax."
The 24th Amendment specifically prohibited both Congress and the states from requiring the payment of a poll tax or any other tax as a condition for voting in federal elections. This amendment addressed the issue of poll taxes, which had been used in some states, particularly in the South, to restrict the voting rights of African Americans and poor whites. The poll tax required voters to pay a fee to enter polling places and cast their ballots, effectively excluding those who could not afford to pay.
The push for the elimination of poll taxes began earlier in the 20th century, with President Harry S. Truman's criticisms of poll taxes and other forms of voter restriction. An amendment to repeal all poll taxes was introduced by Congress in August 1962, and despite concerns about resistance from Southern states, it was rapidly ratified by state legislatures across the country and came into effect in January 1964. This amendment was a significant step forward in ensuring that economic status did not impede citizens' right to vote in federal elections.
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The Voting Rights Act (1965) prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark piece of legislation that prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or language minority status. This legislation was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965, and served as a crucial safeguard for Black Americans and other minority groups in the context of voting rights.
Prior to the enactment of the Voting Rights Act, African Americans in the South faced significant obstacles to voting, including poll taxes, literacy tests, and other bureaucratic restrictions designed to deny them the right to vote. They also risked harassment, intimidation, economic reprisals, and physical violence when attempting to register or vote, leading to limited African-American voter registration and political power.
Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 specifically prohibited any jurisdiction from implementing voting qualifications or prerequisites that resulted in the denial or abridgement of the right to vote on account of race, colour, or language minority status. This section provided two key protections against voter discrimination. Firstly, it prohibited intentional discrimination based on race or colour in voting. Secondly, it prohibited election practices that resulted in the denial or abridgment of the right to vote based on race or colour. These protections closely aligned with the guarantees outlined in the Fifteenth Amendment, which banned discrimination at the ballot box based on race.
In addition to addressing racial discrimination, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 also ensured that certain places provided election materials in languages other than English. This provision was particularly relevant for voters who had completed their primary education in schools where the predominant classroom language was not English. By requiring the provision of multilingual election materials, the Act further expanded voting rights and accessibility for language minority groups.
The enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a significant step towards securing voting rights for adult citizens of all races and genders, building upon previous constitutional amendments like the Fifteenth Amendment and the Nineteenth Amendment. It addressed the long-standing issue of voter discrimination and empowered minority groups by guaranteeing their right to participate in the democratic process.
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The 26th Amendment (1971) lowered the voting age to 18
The 26th Amendment, which was ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age in the United States from 21 to 18. This amendment extended the right to vote to all Americans aged 18 and older. The text of Section 1 of the amendment is as follows: "The right of citizens of the United States, who are 18 years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age."
The drive to lower the voting age began during the mid-20th century, but it wasn't until the 1960s that it gained widespread support. This was largely due to the military draft held during the Vietnam War, which conscripted men between the ages of 18 and 21 to serve in the armed forces. The slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" became a rallying cry for a youth voting rights movement. Young people's participation in the civil rights movement and other social and political movements of the 1950s and 1960s also contributed to the push for a lower voting age.
In 1965, Congress voted to add an amendment to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, lowering the voting age to 18 in federal, state, and local elections nationwide. However, this was struck down by the Supreme Court in the case of Oregon v. Mitchell, which ruled that Congress could only set the minimum voting age for federal elections. As a result, it became necessary to amend the Constitution to lower the voting age at the federal level.
The 26th Amendment passed faster than any other constitutional amendment, with the requisite three-quarters of state legislatures ratifying it in just over two months. Despite this, about 17 states refused to pass measures to lower their minimum voting ages. Opponents of extending the vote to youths questioned the maturity and responsibility of 18-year-olds, arguing that they lacked the good judgment essential to good citizenship.
In the decades since the ratification of the 26th Amendment, the United States has experienced unprecedented levels of youth voter turnout in recent elections. The passage of the amendment was led by a movement of youth activists, and the recent youth vote is often attributed to increasing youth activism around a range of issues that disproportionately impact young people.
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Frequently asked questions
The 15th Amendment, ratified on February 3, 1870, granted the right to vote for all male citizens regardless of their race, ethnicity, or previous slave status.
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave American women the right to vote by prohibiting the states from denying the vote on the basis of sex.
The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes, which had been used in some states to prevent African Americans from voting in federal elections.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 secured voting rights for adult citizens of all races and genders by enforcing the previous constitutional amendments through federal law. It also prohibited voter discrimination based on race, colour, or membership in a language minority group.
