Voting Rights in the United States By Bretay18 Oct 2, 1789 Only white males that owned land were able to vote Oct 2, 1810 Last religious qualifications were abolished Oct 2, 1850 Adult white males could vote without having land Oct 2, 1867 15th amendment protects rights of any man to vote and gives former slaves the right to vote Oct 2, 1920 19th amendment gave women the right to vote Oct 2, 1961 People of the District of Columbia were allowed to vote in political elections Oct 2, 1964 The poll tax is banned to vote in federal election Oct 2, 1965 Voting Rights Act protects minority voters and it lifts the literacy test Oct 2, 1971 Sets the minimum age for voting, which is 18 years old