Your Voice. Your Power. Your Vote!

Your Voice. Your Power. Your Vote!

The League of Women Voters • Nonpartisan, but political • Established: 1920 • 1972: Men accepted • Educate & Advocate

What We’re Going to Cover History of voting in the U.S. The importance of voting Why some people don’t vote How to register and vote

Voting Rights Q: Is there a constitutional right to vote?

HISTORY OF VOTING RIGHTS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

1776: Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

1869–1870: After the Civil War The 15th Amendment said all male citizens over age 21 may vote, regardless of: • Race • Color • Previous condition of servitude

1919–1920: Women’s Suffrage The 19th Amendment gives all citizens the right to vote regardless of sex.

1924: Native American Suffrage Native Americans were granted the right to vote under the Indian Citizenship Act

1965: Voting Rights Act No state or political subdivision may deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.”

1971: Voting Age The 26th Amendment is passed, granting young adults the right to vote at age 18 and older.

2013 Voting Rights Act Modified In June 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the Voting Rights Act,

The Importance of Voting

VOTING BENEFITS PEOPLE WHO VOTE

YOUR VOTE COUNTS

Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don’t vote. — William E. Simon, 63rd U.S. Secretary of Treasury

The League can help

Top Reasons People Don’t Vote

Voter Suppression Requiring photo IDs Disenfranchising nonviolent felons who have served their time • Providing insufficient voting sites Spreading disinformation Reducing polling places • Gerrymandering voting districts

Register to Vote

To register to vote in Florida, you must: You can pre-register to vote at 16, but you must wait until you’re 18 years old to vote unless you have completed all the terms of your sentence for either mental incapacity or committing a crime

Apply to register to vote in Florida: • In person at any Supervisor of Elections office • Any of these agencies while accessing their services: • Florida driver's license office • Tax collector's office that issues driver's licenses or Florida identification cards • All offices that provide public assistance

Apply to register to vote in Florida: • All offices that provide state-funded programs for persons with disabilities • Armed Forces Recruitment Offices • Centers for Independent Living • Public libraries • Authorized third-party voter registration organizations

Florida Voter Registration Application New voter registration Replace voter card Record change of: • Address • Name • Party affiliation • Signature

You can register onlineto vote But do it at least 29 days before an election

Be Ready to Vote

Take the pledge to vote! There are 3 ways to vote: • Vote-by-mail • Early • At your precinct on Election Day

Florida PICTURE ID required at the polls: • Florida driver’s license • Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles • United States passport • Debit or credit card bearing your photo • Military identification • Student identification

Florida picture ID required at the polls: • Retirement center identification • Neighborhood association identification • Public assistance identification • Veteran health identification card • Florida concealed carry license • Federal, state, county or municipal employee identification card

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

We can help today with: • Voter registration application forms • Vote-by-mail applications • Address changes • Signature updates • Party affiliation changes

THANK YOU! Questions? PowerPoint created by Christene Campbell-Gabor Civics Education Committee Chair League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County

Your Voice. Your Power. Your Vote!