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Rise of Democratic Politics
The rise of democratic policies took place primarily from 1820 to 1840. During this time, the right to vote was expanded to the majority of the white male population, as the property ownership requirement was eliminated from the voting process. Additionally, polls were put in more convenient locations to increase voter participation. This movement protected voting rights by no longer requiring men to own land in order to vote. -
15th Amendment
The 15th amendment was ratified in 1870. This addition to the constitution gave African American men the right to vote, saying no person can be discriminated on the basis of their race. Although the right was extended to black men, there were still many barriers in place that made it nearly impossible for them to vote. Literacy tests and the grandfather clause are just some of the restraints that were put in place to block African Americans from voting. -
19th Amendment
The 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, and women were FINALLY given the right to vote. The amendment states that the right to vote shall not be infringed upon by the basis of sex, and it allowed women to become far more active in the political process. -
Indian Citizenship Act of 1924
This piece of legislation was passed in 1924 and extended the right to vote to Native American citizens. It said that any Native American citizen could now participate in the voting process. However, the reality of this law played out very differently. Because it was left up to the states to decide if Natives could vote, many states still prohibited them from voting. It ultimately took about forty years for all 50 states to permit Native Americans to vote. -
McCarren Walter Act of 1952
The McCarren Walter Act of 1952 eliminated laws that prevented Asians from becoming naturalized citizens. This immigration policy allowed Asian immigrants to apply for citizenship, thus granting them the ability to vote once they become a citizen. This legislation overrode past pieces of discriminatory legislation such as The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Asian Exclusion Act of 1924. -
23rd Amendment
The 23rd amendment was ratified in 1960 and extends the right to vote to citizens living in the District of Colombia. This is done by counting the district electors in the electoral college as if they were just another state. -
24th Amendment
The 24th amendment was ratified in 1964 and prohibited any state from having a poll tax when voting for federal officials. Poll taxes were another tool used to prevent marginalized communities from voting, as these groups could often not afford to pay the tax. By eliminating poll taxes, many more people could afford to vote, thus increasing voter participation throughout the U.S. -
Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA)
As mentioned earlier, the 15th amendment formally gave African American men the right to vote, but there were still many barriers put in place to prevent them from participating. The VRA of 1965 prohibited the use of any barrier that deprived any racial group from voting. Minority voters were now protected from unfair literacy tests and other unjust practices. -
26th Amendment
The 26th amendment was ratified in 1971. This amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. This opened up the right to vote for a quite a lot of people, and because this was passed after all of the aforementioned amendments, women and men of all races who were 18 or older could now vote. -
VRA Reauthorization of 1975
The reauthorization of the VRA in 1975 ensured that the protections under the VRA ten years prior would still remain in place. The reauthorization of this law permanently prohibited the use of literacy tests and required that voting materials are translated for people who identify as a language-minority. -
Voting Accessibility for Elderly and Handicapped Act
The Voting Accessibility for Elderly and Handicapped Act was passed in 1984 and required that all polling centers have accommodations for handicapped voters. Historically, many elderly and handicapped voters were prevented from voting, as the polling places were not physically accessible to them. This act ensured that no matter what someone's physical limitations are, they will be accommodated for at the polling center.