The US Constitution has several amendments affecting voting rights, including Amendments 15, 19, 24, and 26. Initially, only white males could vote, but over time, these amendments extended voting rights to all citizens regardless of race, gender, or age. The 17th amendment allowed for the direct election of senators. Despite these changes, many still do not vote, and political parties are working to increase voter turnout.
The US Constitution has several constitutional amendments that affect voting rights. Over time, as America has promoted greater civil liberties for all of its citizens, voting rights have also undergone a change. The major amendments affecting suffrage or voting rights for all people are as follows: Amendment 15, Amendment 19, Amendment 24 and Amendment 26.
When the United States was formed, citizens with the right to vote were mainly white males. Freed blacks could also vote, but slaves were considered property, not citizens, and therefore disallowed voting. Additionally, states could administer poll taxes, which sometimes left the poorest people without the ability to vote if they could not afford the tax. Women did not have the right to vote. Voters in most states also had to be 21 before they were eligible to vote.
The first amendment to try to address these inequities was Amendment 15, which was ratified in 1870. For the first time, blacks were considered voting citizens, and no citizen of any nationality could be denied the right to vote based on race. Despite this amendment, there were areas of the country that would not allow black people to vote if they could not demonstrate literacy. It took the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to outlaw this unfair practice, thus truly opening up the voting process to all African-American citizens.
Amendment 19 is the result of the very long battle for women’s suffrage. It was passed in 1920 and gave all citizens the right to vote regardless of gender. However, the right to vote was denied to those who could not pay poll taxes. Impoverished citizens waited until 1964 for the passage of the 24th amendment, which abolished poll taxes, creating greater class equity in the voting system.
The last constitutional amendment to address voting rights was Amendment 26, passed in 1971. This extended voting to anyone 18 years of age or older. The impetus for this amendment was largely the result of the huge youth movement of the time. With the war in Vietnam raging and the draft age set at 18, many argued that it was a rights violation to ask people to fight a war when they weren’t voting citizens. The strength of the youth movement has also provided a new opportunity for young adults to engage politically. Organized voting among college students can have a significant impact on elections.
Another amendment that changed the voting process was the 17th. This amendment provided for the direct election of senators. Prior to its passage, the voting public had no direct way to select their representatives in the Senate. Many people are only vaguely aware of the uphill battle for votes, starting with the history of the United States and the Revolutionary War. Despite the demand for these rights, many still do not vote or consider voting irrelevant or useless. Both major political parties have taken many steps to increase voter turnout so that more people participate in this basic right of all citizens.
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