U.S. Government and Civics
CHAPTER 6 – VOTERS AND VOTER BEHAVIOR
Section One: The Right to Vote (p 148-150)
The history of American suffrage since 1789 has been marked by two long-term trends: (p148)
1. _The nation has experienced the gradual elimination of several restrictions on the right to vote.
2. _A significant share of what was originally the State’s power over the right to vote has gradually been assumed by the
Federal Government.
The growth of the American electorate has come in five fairly distinct stages: (p 149-150)
Era
What restrictions disappeared?
Who became eligible to vote?
Early 1800s
1870s
1920s
1960s
1970s
Religious qualifications, instituted in the colonial days
Property ownership and tax payment qualifications
Denied the right to vote because of race or color.
Denial of the right to vote because of sex/gender.
Securing African Americans a full role in the electoral
process in all States.
Voters in District of Columbia could not vote in
presidential election
Elimination of the poll tax, and any other tax
Different states setting minimum age limits to 21 for
suffrage
Almost all white males could vote in every State.
Former slaves, African Americans, but still systematically
prevented from voting, disenfranchised.
Gave women the right to vote
Racial equality finally became fact in polling booths in
the country.
Voters of the District of Columbia to the presidential
electorate
All voters regardless of wealth or poverty
Suffrage was allowed for 18 years and older in all states
The _Federal Government_ does not have the power to set suffrage qualifications. That power is reserved to the
_States_. (p 150)
The Constitution does place several restrictions on the power to set suffrage qualifications: (p 150)
Section
Restriction
Article I, Section 2,
Clause 1
Any state must allow to vote for members of its own state legislature must also be allowed to vote for
representatives and senators in Congress. Each of the States allows the same voters to vote in all elections
within the State.
15th Amendment
No state can deprive any person of the right to vote “on account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude”
19th Amendment
th
24 Amendment
No State can deprive any person of the right to vote on account of sex.
No State can require payment of any tax as a condition for taking part in the nomination or election of any
federal officeholder. No state can levy any tax in connection with the selection of the President, the Vice
President, or members of Congress.
26th Amendment
No State can deprive any person who is at least 18 years of age of the right to vote because of age.
14th Amendment’s
Equal Protection
Clause
No state can make a distinction for voting purposes—between those who do and those who do not own
taxable property—to be an unreasonable classification.
CHAPTER 6 – VOTERS AND VOTER BEHAVIOR
Section Two: Voter Qualifications (p 152-157)
Today, every state requires that any person who wants to vote must be able to satisfy qualifications based on
citizenship_, _residence_, and _age_. (p 152)
_Aliens—foreign-born residents_ are denied the right to vote in the United States, though nothing in the
_Constitution_ says that they cannot vote. _1/4 of States_ permitted them to vote until 1926. (152)
Residence requirements serve two purposes: preventing _political machine_ from affecting the outcome of local
elections and allowing new voters to become more familiar with the _candidates_ and _issues_. (p 152-153)
Congress has banned any requirement longer than _30 days_ for voting in presidential elections. (p 153)
The Supreme Court has suggested _30 days_ would be appropriate for state elections. (p 153)
Today, most states require residency but impose _transients (persons living in the state for only a short time)_
time limit. (p 153)
Prior to 1970, only _4_ states allowed people younger than 21 to vote. (p 153)
In some states, _some 17 year olds_ can now vote in primary elections if they will be 18 before the general
election. _Nebraska_ has come very close to lowering the voting age to 17 for all elections. (p 154)
Every state but _North Dakota_ requires voters to register in order to vote. (p 154)
It is a procedure of voter _identification_ intended to prevent _fraudulent voting_. (p 154)
Typically, a prospective voter must register his or her _name_, _age_, _place of birth_, _present address_,
_length of residence_, and similar facts. (p 154)
Voters typically remain registered until they _moves_, _dies_, is _convicted of a serious crime_, or _committed
to a mental institution_. State laws do require the _removal, or purge_ of those no longer eligible to vote. (p
154)
Literacy requirements were once commonly used to _discourage_ certain groups from voting. (p 156)
Congress eliminated literacy as a suffrage qualification in _1970_. (p 156)
The 24th Amendment eliminated the _poll tax_ as a requirement to vote in federal elections, and the Supreme
Court eliminated it for all elections in _1966_. (157)
None of the states allow people in _mental institutions_ to vote. (p 157)
One fourth of the states prohibit anyone who _commits a serious crime_ from ever gaining the right to vote. (p
157)