US Voting Rights through Linear Time

15th Amendment

Feb 26, 1869

The 15th amendment grants the right to vote to all citizens, and cannot be denied on the basis of race, color, or previous servitude. Source

Guinn v. U.S.

Jun 21, 1915

The decision in Guinn v. U.S. found that the grandfather clause being used to have voters be excused from passing literacy tests unconstitutional. Source

19th Amendment

Aug 18, 1920

The 19th amendment granted the right to vote, regardless of sex. Source

Indian Citizenship Act

Jun 2, 1924

The Indian Citizenship Act allows indigenous people to be recognized as citizens and be granted citizenship. The act was put in place because previously courts had ruled that the 14th amendment did not apply to indigenous people. Source

McCarran-Walter Act

Jun 27, 1952

The McCarran-Walter Act is a law that dealt with immigration control, allowing immigration visas with new removal of racial systems. It was vetoed by President Harry Truman as it was seen as a discriminatory act, favoring Europeans while limiting Asian countries. The act was overturned by Congress. Source

24th Amendment

Jan 23, 1964

The 24th amendment put in place that no elections for officials shall have taxation on the polls. This ensured that Americans with the right to vote but couldn't afford to could still vote. Source

Reynolds v. Sims

Jun 15, 1964

Since Jefferson County, Alabama had 41 times more eligible voters than other districts in Alabama, they challenged the state constitution that required one representative per county and senatorial district. In an 8-1 decision, the court concluded that the state should create districts that represent an equal proportion of population to land divisions. Source

26th Amendment

Jul 1, 1971

The 26th Amendment lowered the age for voting in the US, changing it from 21 to 18. The reasoning for this was many young people of the age 18 were being sent to war but they had no say in laws because they were too young to vote. Source

Help America Vote Act

Oct 29, 2002

The Help America Vote Act improved upon 4 different things concerning election administration: a new federal clearinghouse, providing more state funds to replace outdated voting systems, creating minimum standards to follow in key areas, and improving accessibility for disabled voters. Source

Shelby Counter v. Holder

Jun 25, 2013

In the decision of Shelby Counter v. Holder the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that using a coverage formula to decide which jurisdictions had preclearance was unconstitutional. Instead, the basic channels of going through the Attorney General to make voting changes needed to be upheld. Source