Voter Rights Timeline by Colin Leahy 16

Rise of Democratic Politics

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:27 UTC

508 BCE Athens Greece was the first place to come up with the idea of a democracy, and yet it was millennia later that the first one would take shape. The Idea of a Government For, By, and Of the people wasn't a new concept but it was seen as not possible because the people couldn't be trusted. It took the Founding Fathers in 1776 and 1783 to create the first strong democracy. With that came many challenges like who should vote? They settled on only Land owning White men, despite saying that "All Men Are Created Equal" As time has marched on, more and more people have been given the right to vote (Suffrage or Enfranchisement)

McCarren Walter Act of 1952

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:27 UTC

The McCarren-Walter Act of 1952 removed the blanket exclusion of immigration based on race, but it did implement a quota system where we'd only let in a certain amount of people per year. It didn't expand voter rights just allowed for increased immigration to the United States.

1870: 15th Amendment Ratified

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:27 UTC

After a hard, bloody, and deadly Civil War, the United States amended the 15th Amendment. Stating that the government can't abridges someone's right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This expanded the right to vote to Black men, many of whom soon fell victim to other state-issued methods of disenfranchisement like poll taxes. While this was a huge step in the right direction toward American democracy it came nearly 100 years after the country was founded, and showed just how far we still needed to go.

1920: 19th Amendment Ratified

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:27 UTC

During WW1, the men in the United States were sent off to Europe to fight for the Entente or Allies. This led to women having to take over factories to replace men in the workforce due to the war. When the men came back, the women said "Look we can do what you do" and started to really push for the right to vote. In 1920 Woodrow Wilson gave his support for the 19th amendment, granting women suffrage, giving yet another group the much-needed right to vote and make their voice heard. And many women did take to the poll booths, but many husbands told their wives how to vote, which still led to a brand of disenfranchisement.

23rd Amendment

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:28 UTC

The District of Colombia home to some 700,000 people didn't have the right to vote in their area, because DC is not a state it was never given the right to vote. the 23rd amendment allows the people in DC to be given the right to vote in elections.

1964: 24th Amendment Ratified

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:29 UTC

The south had spent eons trying to find new legal ways of disenfranchisement, they found that Poll Taxes were the best way they could do it. Making people need to pay a tax (Unless grandfathered in) to vote, this targeted specifically the poor and African Americans. Further expanding the rights to vote by removing a Huge road-block from the voting booth.

1965: Voting Rights Act Signed

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:29 UTC

Kennedy was huge on promoting Civil rights but his life was cut short by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22 1963 in Texas. His VP Lyndon B Johnson, then had to take up the mantle. Passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voter Rights Act of 1965, strengthened voters' rights to cast their ballot as well as desegregation of schools. It secured the right to vote for ALL individuals Men, Women, People of color, Immigrants, and Citizens, All had a right and a say in voting. THis isn't to say other road-blocks didn't exist, they still do to this day. This was a Monumental step for American Democracy.

1971: 26th Amendment Ratified

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:30 UTC

Would you say that it's fair to send men who were forced into the military via the draft to Vietnam without the right to vote? People said no it was not right to allow for that, and as such began trying to pass the 26th amendment which lowered the voting age from 21 to the age required for the Selective Service Act (18). Many people were proponents of this because an 18-year-old brain isn't fully developed, but they were still allowed to be sent to Vietnam against their will. So the age was lowered, allowing for a lot more voter to vote.

VRA Reauthorization of 1975

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:48:30 UTC

It ended tests nationwide for voting, as well as made special conditions for minority languages to be allowed to vote. It extended the VRA by an additional 7 years, and expanded protections to more groups that fell outside of it in the first place.

Indian Citizenship Act of 1924

40009516 — 2024-02-28 14:52:20 UTC

June 2nd President Calvin Coolage signed into law the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924. It made all Native Americans into United States Citizens. This allowed certain Native American groups the right to vote but also stopped them from voting in certain states like Arizona. Not fully granting them the right to vote, but it was a large step to allow the people who were here before us to vote in our elections.

Voting Accessibility for Elderly and Handicapped Act

40009516 — 2024-02-28 15:08:00 UTC

1983-1984

It requires states to take certain measures to make sure that ALL American's can vote not just the ones that can walk. For example, voting booths would need to have ramps as well as stairs so those in wheel chairs could actually get up there and vote.