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Rise of Democratic Politics
During this time, suffrage was expanded to white men who weren't necessarily property owners and taxpayers. This is the foundation and birth of voting and the protection of rights develops more later on. -
15th Amendment
15th Amendment expanded voting rights to colored men. Voting rights were protected because people were allowed to vote and couldn't be denied based on color or race. -
19th Amendment
19th Amendment expanded suffrage to women. This voting right was protected by the Amendment because now voters couldn't be denied based on their sex. It was a large step in the suffrage movement and for women's rights which were not being more protected by legislation. -
Indian Citizen Act
The Indian Citizen Act led to the expansion of suffrage to include Native Americans. The amendment was protected because Native Americans born in the U.S. were given citizenship which allowed them to vote. -
McCarren Walter Act
This act expanded suffrage to Asian immigrants. Rights were protected because of this act since it naturalized Asian immigrants and allowed them to become U.S. citizens and vote. -
23rd Amendment
The 23rd Amendment gave suffrage to people living in D.C. Voting rights were protected because D.C. residents could then participate in the Presidential election, but still couldn't vote in Congress. -
24th Amendment
The 24th Amendment expanded voting rights to low-income citizens, especially those of African Americans. This protected voting rights because it banned poll taxes, so voters didn't have to "pay" taxes. -
Voting Rights Act
This act expanded voting rights to everyone facing discrimination and discriminatory voting laws. The act protected rights because it outlawed literacy tests and included language assistance. -
26th Amendment
The 26th Amendment expanded voting rights to people now 18 and older instead of 21+. This amendment protected voting rights because people argued that if they were old enough to be drafted, they should be old enough to vote. -
VRA Reauthorization
The reauthorization expanded voting rights to smaller minority groups, especially those not primarily speaking English. This protected voting rights because it removed language barriers and provided alternate voting methods. -
Voting Accessibility for Elderly and Handicapped Act
This act expanded voting rights to those who were handicapped or elderly. This act protected voting rights because it removed physical barriers and allowed for other voting methods such as absentee ballots.