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Expanding the Right to Vote

Expanding the Right to Vote. Right to Vote. Suffrage = franchise = right to vote. General Trends. Growing role of federal government in defining who can vote through constitutional amendments Growing expansion of people entitled to vote. Stages of Expanding Suffrage.

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Expanding the Right to Vote

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  1. Expanding the Right to Vote

  2. Right to Vote Suffrage = franchise = right to vote

  3. General Trends • Growing role of federal government in defining who can vote through constitutional amendments • Growing expansion of people entitled to vote

  4. Stages of Expanding Suffrage Early 1800’s: elimination of religious qualifications, property ownership and current tax payments. Post-Civil War: 15th Amendment barred racial discrimination in voting. 1920: 19th Amendment barred gender discrimination. 1960’s: 23rd Amendment (1961) added voters in the District of Columbia to the presidential electorate; 24th Amendment (1964) eliminated the poll tax; Voting Rights Act (1965) effected 15th Amendment. 1971: 26th Amendment gave the right to vote to those 18 or older.

  5. Major Civil Rights Laws 1964 Civil Rights Act: -outlawed discrimination in public accommodations and employment -ended federal funding for segregated school districts -forbid the use of any voter registration or literacy requirements in an unfair or discriminatory manner

  6. Major Civil Rights Laws (cont.) 1965 Voting Rights Act -attorney general appointed federal voting examiners in counties with a history of discrimination, empowered them to register voters and oversee conduct of elections -preclearance by the Justice Department required for any change in election law in areas with a history of discrimination

  7. Major Civil Rights Laws (cont.) 1975 Amendments to the Voting Rights Act -extended voter-examiner and preclearance provisions to areas where 5% or more of the voting age population belongs to a certain “language minority”. -ballots and other official election materials must be printed in English and the language of the minority.

  8. Review Questions • Franchise is the right to _____. • African-Americans gained the right to vote through the (number) Amendment. • The _____ Act outlawed discrimination in public accommodations and employment. • The _____ Act appointed federal voting examiners and required preclearance by the Justice Department of any election law change. • The 1975 Amendments extended Voting Rights Act provisions to _____.

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