Seeking Suffrage

Voting Volunteering for a campaign Joining an interest group Lobbying the government Writing to government officials Running for office

How can citizens participate in politics?

American citizens18 years of age and older

Including all races

And both genders

Who is allowed to vote?

18+

Which of the following countries does not constitutionally guarantee its citizens the right to vote? Is it:

(A) Iran (B) Libya (C) The United States (D) All of the above.

Right to Vote?

Constitutional Silence on the Right to Vote. Instead the Constitution bans the restriction of voting based on certain factors.

Comparatively, South African constitution has an express right to vote .

When the US Constitution was written, only white, male, adult property owners were allowed to vote.

Property ownership and tax requirements were eliminated over the next 50-60 years.

Literacy tests and poll taxes were implemented in many states. Discriminatory practices. (1850’s-1880’s)

Took until the 1970’s and 1980’s to eliminate literacy tests and poll taxes throughout the country.

Historically

Where do we get our voting rights?

SCAVENGER HUNT!Using a copy of the Constitution, locate the Amendments that address voting rights in some way.Once you have identified the Amendment:

Summarize the content Identify the groups impacted State the year each Amendment was ratified

As the description of the Amendment is presented

on the slide, raise you hand if you think you

know which Amendment is being discussed.

Which Amendment is it?

The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen 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.

AMENDMENT XXVI (26)Passed by Congress March 23, 1971. Ratified July 1, 1971.

Note: Amendment 14, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 1 of the 26th amendment.

After the Vietnam conflict in the 1960’s, many felt

that if you are old enough to be drafted (18+) to

fight in the U.S. military, you should be able to

vote.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State

on account of sex.

AMENDMENT XIX (19)Passed by Congress June 4, 1919. Ratified August

18, 1920.

The Nineteenth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution banned the restriction

of voting based on sex/gender.

Timeline of Women’s suffrage

Bad Romance: ‘Til We Have Suffrage

Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their

respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State……the right to vote in any election male

inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United

States

AMENDMENT XIV (14)Passed by Congress June 13, 1866. Ratified July 9, 1868.

Note: Article I, section 2, of the Constitution was modified by section 2 of the 14th amendment.

Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment repealed the 3/5

clause of the Constitution which only counted 3/5 of

each slave towards the population of each state.

This means that slaves were now freed based on the

Thirteenth Amendment and made full citizens under the

Fourteenth Amendment. It also

distinguished the voting age as 21 limited

to male citizens.

The right of citizens of the United

States to vote…shall not be denied or abridged by the

United States or any State by reason of failure to pay poll

tax or other tax.

AMENDMENT XXIV (24)Passed by Congress August 27, 1962. Ratified January 23,

1964.

Some states instituted taxes, or fees, that had to be paid in order to vote, knowing that many poor people would be unable to afford the fee. This

practice was stopped by the 24th Amendment

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States

or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude--

AMENDMENT XV (15)Passed by Congress February 26, 1869. Ratified February 3, 1870.

The Fifteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution banned the restriction of

voting based on race or previous servitude. Only applied to men.

AMENDMENT XIII (13)Passed by Congress January 31, 1865. Ratified December 6, 1865.

Note: A portion of Article IV, section 2, of the Constitution was superseded by the 13th amendment.

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…shall exist within

the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Slaves were considered property and were not considered American citizens. This

meant they were restricted from voting.

Once the thirteenth amendment was passed, they were still not permitted to

vote – just because slavery was illegal, it did not make them citizens..

In your group, create a timeline of voting rights.

Include: The year The Amendment Number A summary of the Amendment The group impacted* An illustration of the Amendment

Put it on the line!

Seeking Suffrage Timeline

AMENDMENT XIII (13)

Ratified December 6, 1865.

Abolished slavery

AMENDMENT XV (15)

Ratified February 3, 1870.

Banned the restriction of

voting based on race.

AMENDMENT XIV (14)Ratified July 9, 1868.

Established that all former slaves were considered full citizens; repealed the 3/5

compromise. Also set the voting age at 21+.

Seeking Suffrage Timeline

AMENDMENT XXIV (24)

Ratified January 23, 1964.

Poll taxes were banned. Citizens

would no longer have to pay to vote.

AMENDMENT XXVI (26)

Ratified July 1, 1971.Voting age lowered

to 18.

AMENDMENT XIX (19)Ratified August 18,

1920.Banned the

restriction of voting on the basis of

gender.

18+

Prior to this Act, Native Americans had been denied the right to vote due to the fact that they were not counted as citizens because they were citizens of their tribe and did not pay taxes to the United States government.

It was required Native Americans to give up their tribal citizenship in order to become full citizens of the United States.

The Indian Citizenship Act declared all non-citizen Native Americans born within the United States citizenship, thus granting them the right to vote.

Indian Citizenship Act of 1924

Who would be unable to vote?African AmericansFemale citizens Native Americans Citizens who are poorCitizens who are uneducated Citizens under the age of 18

What if these amendments had never been added to the

Constitution?

Those under the age of 18

Non-citizens residing in the United States

Illegal aliens Prisoners

What do you think? Who should not be allowed to vote?

This means you!

This could include those in the United

states who are studying abroad or

working in the United States

on a visaThis refers to those

who live in the United States

illegally

This includes in some states those

who are incarcerated and recently released

from prison.

On your See It My Way handout, you will need to tell about the group that is not allowed to vote in the United States.

Provide arguments for and against allowing these populations to vote. Be sure to explain your position very

clearly! Anyone else?

What do you think?

If you could propose a constitutional amendment to ban discrimination of certain groups, who would you target?

If you could propose an amendment to the Constitution to not allow certain groups to vote, what would you propose?

Who would you target?

Should we require citizens to vote? With such a low percentage of persons in the

United States who actually vote, what would happen if we amended the Constitution to require everyone to vote?

Some countries have such a requirement. What are the pros and cons of such a policy?

Compulsory Voting