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Constitution Day: Voting Rights

This guide will address the origins and history of our government's foundational document, with its amendments. A variety of issues are discussed, from the process of writing and adoption, to current interpretations of the Constitution.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Accessed from https://amplifier.org/free-downloads/

Who is Allowed to Vote Today and How Did We Get Here?

Who is Allowed to Vote in the U.S.?
The 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th AmendmentsPreparing for the Oath Logo

From The Smithsonian Institution's Preparing for the Oath Website

Introduction

Throughout our history, many groups, such as women and African Americans, fought for the right to vote in federal elections. Today, every U.S. citizen age 18 years old and older can vote. 

Government leaders wrote the Constitution in 1787. At that time, the Constitution did not explain who could vote for in Federal elections. Instead, state governments decided who could vote in each state. Most states restricted the vote to adult white males and some states even insisted that they be property owners. Today, there are amendments to the Constitution about voting that decide who votes in all the states.

Watch: Amendments About Voting (1 min. 40sec.)

(Visit the Smithsonian Institution's Preparing for the Oath website.)

The four amendments to the US Constitution regarding who can vote: 

  1. The Fifteenth Amendment (1870) says a male citizen of any race can vote. This was the 3rd and last of what became known as the Reconstruction Amendments.
  2. The Nineteenth Amendment (1920) says that any U.S. citizen, including women, can vote.
  3. The Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964) states that no one has to pay to vote. This made the (mostly) Southern practice of charging poll taxes illegal. These were taxes that citizens had to pay before voting.
  4. The Twenty-sixth Amendment was added in 1971. It says that all U.S. citizens who are 18 years old and older can vote. In the middle of the Vietnam War, many Americans felt it unfair that young soldiers fighting for their country could not vote. This amendment aligned both the draft age and the right to vote.    

New York State Voter Rights and Registration Info

Am I Registered to Vote?

(The Screencap above links out to the NYC Board of Elections website.)

New York State Voter's Bill of Rights

As a registered voter, you have the right to:

  • Vote: The right to vote includes: voting for candidates and questions on the ballot, and having sufficient time to vote.
  • Have Your Votes Count: Vote on a voting system that is in working condition and that will allow votes to be accurately cast.
  • Secrecy in Voting: Secrecy in voting will be preserved for all elections.
  • Freedom in Voting: Cast your vote, free from coercion or intimidation by elections officers or any other person.
  • Permanent Registration: Once registered to vote, you continue to remain qualified to vote from an address within your county or city.
  • Accessible Elections: Non-discriminatory equal access to the election system for all voters, including the elderly, disabled, alternative language minorities, military and overseas citizens, as required by Federal and State laws.
  • Assistance in Voting: You may request assistance to vote because of blindness, disability, or inability to read or write.
  • Instruction in Voting: You can view a sample ballot in this polling place prior to voting, and before entering or approaching a privacy booth, scanner or ballot marking device, you may request help in how to mark and/or cast your ballot.
  • Affidavit Voting: Whenever your name does not appear in the poll ledger or the voter registration or enrolment list, or you do not provide identification when required, you will be offered an affidavit ballot.

Critical Thinking Exercise: Vote NYC Video

Critical Thinking Exercise

View the video above, and consider the following questions:

  1. What is the purpose of this ad?
  2. Who is the ad's creator?
  3. Who is the target audience for this ad?
  4. What issues are being addressed? 
  5. Is the content politically neutral and unbiased? 
  6. Do you find this ad to be an effective tool for encouraging people to vote in local elections? Why or why not?

Whose Vote Counts?

Whose Vote Counts, Explained | Full Episode | 24:51 min.

Why is the right to vote in America still a fight? From voter suppression to disenfranchisement, see the roadblocks that stop voices from being heard. Watch Whose Vote Counts, Explained. 

FACTS

From Logo

5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION

1.) Thomas Jefferson never signed it.

Some very important Founding Fathers never actually signed the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson, for example, was away in Paris serving as U.S. Ambassador to France.

2.)  “Pennsylvania” is misspelled at the top.

In the list of signatories, Pennsylvania is spelled with just one ‘N.’

3.)  The right to vote isn’t defined.

The right to vote was originally a matter left to each state. Since the Constitution did not set out rules for who gets to vote, historically under-represented groups fought and gained their suffrage through subsequent Constitutional amendments.

4.)  Less than 1% of Constitutional Amendments proposed have been ratified.

Of 11,600 proposed amendments, only 27 have been ratified, making the chance of passing an amendment 0.23%.

5.)  Ben Franklin had to be carried to and from the convention

The aging statesman had to be carried to and from the Convention due to his poor health, and needed assistance signing the document.

Re-enfranchisement: Voting Rights for the Formerly Incarcerated

From the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): It has been common practice in the United States to make felons ineligible to vote, in some cases permanently. Over the last few decades, the general trend has been toward reinstating the right to vote at some point, although this is a state-by-state policy choice.

Read Full Article Below

5 Reasons to vote

 

Banner Image: AltaMed Health Services Reasons to Vote

The 5 best reasons to exercise your right to vote
1. Elections have consequences.

* Voting is your chance to stand up for the issues you care about: such as public transportation, or funding local schools. 

2. Not voting is giving up your voice.

* Elections are decided by the people who go out and vote.

3. It's your money.

 * Voting is your chance to choose how your tax dollars are spent – such as funding for health care and social services.

4. Voting is an opportunity for change.

* Support the candidates and ballot measures that can help your community, state, and even the nation for the greater good. 

5. The community depends on you!

* Our communities are made up of friends, loved ones, neighbors, and children. Some may not know how important voting is, while others don’t have the privilege.

Adapted from an article by AltaMed Health Services, a community health services organization.

Printable Worksheet: The "Why Vote" Tool

                    THIS RESEARCH OR "LIBGUIDE" WAS PRODUCED BY THE LIBRARIANS OF MONROE UNIVERSITY             

    EMAIL: library@monroeu.edu -- Bronx Campus (646) 393-8333 / New Rochelle Campus (914)-740-6437