Voting Rights Timeline by

Rise of Democratic Politics

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:25:41 UTC

Democratic voting was starting to be formed between 1820-1840. It expanded voting rights to almost all white men instead of being limited to the upper class white men. This was able to occur because they started taking away some of the very strict regulations placed on voting. For example, they took away a restriction saying that you had to be a property owner and a taxpayer in order to vote. After this, almost 80% of white men started voting.

15th Amendment

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:26:08 UTC

This 15th amendment was ratified in 1870 once the civil war ended and african americans were given the rights of citizenship by the 14th amendment. It expanded the right to vote to African American men. The amendment said that the right to vote shouldn't be denied because of race or color.

19th Amendment

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:26:16 UTC

The 19th amendment was ratified in 1920 after decades of women's suffrage movements. It expanded the right to vote to women. It mainly protected that right for white women because, even though the 15th amendment was around, some places still made restrictions in an effort to keep African Americans from voting. But, for the most part, the 19th amendment was able to give women the right to vote because it says that the right can't be denied on account of sex.

Indian Citizenship Act of 1924

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:26:30 UTC

This act was signed by President Calvin Coolidge in 1924. It expanded the right to vote to all Native Americans. It accomplished this by stating that Native Americans are U.S. citizens, meaning that the 15th amendment applies to them, so they have the right to vote. It prevented states from placing restrictions on Native American voting by saying that they aren't citizens.

McCarren Walter Act of 1952

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:26:45 UTC

This act was passed in 1952 when immigration was being more prominent and debated in America. It expanded the right to vote to Asian Americans. It was able to accomplish this by allowing more Asians to become naturalized. Once they become naturalized, the 15th amendment applies to them, so they get the right to vote.

23rd Amendment

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:26:55 UTC

The 23rd amendment was ratified in 1961. It expanded the right to vote to people living in the District of Columbia. It was able to do this by providing the district with electors that could participate in the electoral college for the presidential elections.

24th Amendment

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:27:04 UTC

The 24th amendment was ratified in 1964 during the civil rights movement and when Jim crows laws were being contested. It expanded the right to all Americans, but especially to those who couldn't afford to pay anything extra. If something has a cost, people are less likely to do it, so this amendment took away the poll taxes so that people could vote for free.

Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA)

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:27:23 UTC

This act was passed in 1965 when the civil rights movement was going on and Jim Crow laws still existed. It expanded the right to vote to people of minority races who legally already had the right to vote, but were having their rights violated by state restrictions on voting. This act banned those restrictions and imposing qualifications so that more people would be allowed to vote in every state despite race or sex.

26th Amendment

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:27:32 UTC

The 26th amendment was ratified in 1971 when there was a lot of focus on the Vietnam war. It expanded the right to people who were 18 and up, when it had previously been limited to 21 and up. They made this amendment because if an 18 year old could be drafted to serve in the Vietnam war, they also deserved the right to vote. It allowed a younger population to vote by saying that 18 was the new minimum age.

VRA Reauthorization of 1975

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:27:47 UTC

These additions to the VRA were passed in 1975. The right to vote was made easier for those who spoke a language other than English. They added provisions to address the discrimination that made it more difficult and confusing for those U.S. citizens to vote.

Voting Accessibility for Elderly and Handicapped Act

hastingskayla — 2024-03-06 14:28:08 UTC

This act was passed in 1984 after minorities and young people had been given the right to vote, and special acts were put in place to ensure they could carry out those rights. It was then understood that the elderly and handicapped would also need extra help. This act expanded the right to vote to the elderly and handicapped by stating that a certain number of polling facilities must be accessible to those groups. That reasonable number has to be maintained, or they must have the option of voting by mail.