Voting Rights and Eligibility in the United States

Current Voting Eligibility

• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must be a citizen of the U.S.
• Must be a resident of a state.
• Not a felon.

Historical Context

• 1789: George Washington's election. Only 6% of the population could vote. Limited to white, male property owners.

Expansion of Voting Rights

• 1820s-1830s: Population growth and western expansion.

  • Frontier farmers, often without land, were initially ineligible to vote.
  • New states dropped property ownership requirements.
  • Andrew Jackson advocated for universal white, male suffrage.

• 1850s: About 55% of adults could vote.

• 1861-1865: American Civil War.

  • 15th Amendment (post-war): No denial of vote based on race, color, or previous servitude.
  • Reality: Intimidation and discriminatory laws (e.g., literacy tests, poll taxes) limited African-American voting.

• 1920: 19th Amendment: Women's suffrage achieved after a 30-year movement, extending votes to women, primarily white.

• 1940s: Post-WWII questioning of U.S. democracy.

  • Civil Rights Movement initiated.
  • 1965: Voting Rights Act eliminated barriers like literacy tests, reinforcing 15th Amendment.

• 1971: 26th Amendment: Lowered voting age to 18 amidst Vietnam War draft debates.

Current State of Voting Rights

• Broad and inclusive voter eligibility.
• Ongoing challenges:
  • Voter suppression efforts persist.
  • Low voter turnout (~60% of eligible voters).

Reflection

• Questions regarding the sufficiency of current voting rights.
• Inquiry into reasons for low voter turnout despite historical efforts to secure voting rights.