Expansion

Requirements

Making it easier

Making it harder

VOTING:NOT JUST A REASON TO

CANCEL SCHOOL

Who could vote in 1789?

-- about one in fif teen adult white males could vote in elections

- - today, 220 million Americans eligible to vote

Why did this number grow?

- Elimination of restrictions

- Federal assumption of power over the right to vote

SUFFRAGE: RIGHT TO VOTE

This Guy!

1. Early 1800’s

-- religious, property, and tax qualifications disappear

-- by mid-1800’s, almost all white males can vote

2. After Civil War

-- 15th Amendment (African-American suffrage)

EXTENDING SUFFRAGE: FIVE STAGES

3. 1920’s

-- 19th Amendment (Women’s

suffrage)

4. 1960’s

-- federal gov’t protects and

expands African-American suffrage

-- 23rd & 24th Amendments (DC

suffrage; elimination of poll tax)

5. 1970’s

-- 26th Amendment (voting age at

18)

EXTENDING SUFFRAGE: FIVE STAGES

Citizenship

Residence

- - must be a legal resident of the State you wish to vote in

Why do states have this requirement?

Age

- - states cannot set the age higher than 18

Should the age be pushed back to 21?

Why don’t young people vote?

WHO CAN VOTE?

VOTING REQUIREMENTS

- - you must register (sign up) before voting

Making it Easier

-- “Motor -Voter Law”

register to vote at the DMV (MVA)

register by mail

registration forms available at social service agencies

-- Same-Day Registration

some states allow registering on the day of

Should we make it easier for people to vote?

REGISTRATION

YOUTH VOTE: WHERE DID IT GO?

WHY DON’T YOUNG PEOPLE VOTE IN

SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS?

WHY SHOULD YOUNG PEOPLE VOTE IN

HIGHER NUMBERS?

HOW WOULD YOU MOTIVATE YOUNG

PEOPLE TO VOTE?

WHAT REFORMS TO THE VOTING PROCESS COULD BE MADE

THAT MIGHT ENCOURAGE HIGHER VOTER TURNOUT AMONG

YOUNG PEOPLE?

- - l iteracy requirements created to prevent minorities from

voting (Irish Catholic in the North; African -Americans in the

South)

-- Congress outlawed

-- poll tax created in late 1800s in the South to discourage

African-Americans from voting

-- outlawed by 24 th Amendment (1964)

Voter ID Laws

-- some states require voters to

have ID on them when voting

LITERACY & TAX

- - people in mental institutions or found mentally incompetent

- - 25% of states preclude anyone convicted of a serious crime

from ever regaining the right to vote

-- some states preclude those dishonorably discharged from the

military

Should ex-felons be allowed to vote?

WHO CAN’T VOTE?

Voter I.D. Laws

- - several states

have made laws

requiring voters to

show a picture ID

when voting

Should states be

able to require

photo ID to vote?

POINT -- COUNTERPOINT