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The Early Stage
Starting in the early 1800’s religious qualifications for voting, begun during the colonial period, were eliminated. No state had a religious test for voting since 1810. States also eliminated qualifications that required ownership of property or tax payments in order to be eligible to vote. These changes resulted in a great expansion of the electorate. -
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Voting Rights
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Reconstruction
After the Civil War the 15th Amendment was ratified that prohibited voter discrimination based on race or color. This Amendment did not have the intended outcome as many states adopted practices that systematically denied African Americans the right to vote. -
Women's Suffrage
The 19th Amendment prohibited voting discrimination against women. About half the states had adopted laws allowing women to vote by the time of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. The importance of women suffrage was huge. The potential size of the electorate doubled. -
Civil Rights Movement
During the 1960’s Congress enacted a number of civil rights laws aimed at ending racial discrimination. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave the federal government the power to monitor and prevent voting discrimination based on race or color. In addition, the 23rd Amendment, adopted in 1961, for the first time permitted voters in the District of Columbia to vote in presidential elections. The 24th Amendment, adopted in 1964, forbid the use of the poll tax as a condition for voting in any election. -
Youth Movement
In 1971 with the adoption of the 26th Amendment states were forbidden to set a minimum voting age higher than 18 years of age. This greatly increased the potential size of the electorate. The 18-year-old voting age was an opportunity for high school civics and government students to exercise their right to vote as informed and active citizens.
