CONSTITUTION TO PRESENT

Age of Jackson BACKGROUND The Constitution did not provide specifics on who could vote so this was left to the state to determine specifics. The right to vote was generally limited to men who were 21 and owned property according to state laws except in New Jersey where women could also vote. CHANGES The Jacksonians believed that voting rights should be extended to all white men. By 1820, universal white male suffrage was the norm, and by 1850 nearly all requirements to own property or pay taxes had been dropped. [5] universal white male suffrage [5]

Constitutional Amendments Turn to page 52 and read 15, 19, 24, 26 amendments and explain how they changed voting 15 th - voting cannot be denied based on race or color 19 th - voting cannot be denied based on gender 24 th – states cannot impose poll taxes on voters 26 th - voting age lowered from 21 to 18

1965 Voting Rights Act bans racial discrimination in voting practices by the federal government as well as by state and local governments Read and answer questions page 911

1960 In Gomillion v. Lightfoot (Alabama) the Court outlaws "gerrymandering.“ – the rearrangement of voting districts so as to favor the party in powergerrymandering 1961 The 23rd Amendment allows voters of the District of Columbia to participate in presidential elections. They have 3 electoral votes.District of Columbia 1964 The 24th Amendment bans the poll tax as a requirement for voting in federal elections Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., mounts a voter registration drive in Selma, Alabama, to draw national attention to African-American voting rights.voter registration drive 1965 The Voting Rights Act protects the rights of minority voters and eliminates voting barriers such as the literacy test. The Act is expanded and renewed in 1970, 1975, and Changes in Voting

Examples

Changes in Voting 1966 The Supreme Court, in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, eliminates the poll tax as a qualification for voting in any election. A poll tax was still in use in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia The Court upholds the Voting Rights Act in South Carolina v. Katzenbach Literacy requirements are banned for five years by the 1970 renewal of the Voting Rights Act. At the time, eighteen states still have a literacy requirement in place. In Oregon v. Mitchell, the Court upholds the ban on literacy tests, which is made permanent in ◦Judge Hugo Black, writing the court's opinion, cited the "long history of the discriminatory use of literacy tests to disenfranchise voters on account of their race" as the reason for their decision.Judge Hugo Black

Louisiana Literacy Test Questions

Changes in Voting 1971The 26th amendment sets the minimum voting age at In Dunn v. Blumstein, the Supreme Court declares that lengthy residence requirements for voting in state and local elections is unconstitutional and suggests that 30 days is an ample period.residence requirements 1995The Federal "Motor Voter Law" takes effect, allowing voters to register when they get a DL.Motor Voter Law 2003 Federal Voting Standards and Procedures Act requires states to streamline registration, voting, and other election procedures In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court strikes down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, which established a formula for Congress to use when determining if a state or voting jurisdiction requires prior approval before changing its voting laws. Under Section 5 of act nine—mostly Southern—states with a history of discrimination must get clearance from Congress before changing voting rules to make sure racial minorities are not negatively affected. While the 5–4 decision did not invalidate Section 5, it made it toothless. Fallout from the ruling was swift, with several states quickly moving to change their voting laws.

Voting decisions left to the states Read Bush/ Gore election results – 988 and 1032 Do you think the government made the right decision? Overall Votes Electors Florida Electors Bush 50,456, % 271 2,912,790 49% 25 Gore 50,999, % 266 2,912,253 49% Nadar 2,882, % 97,488 2%

Convicted Felon Voting Do you think convicted felons should have voting rights? Write your opinion in your journal Read about voting rights for convicted felons View the pro’s and con’s and see if your opinion changes felony convictions include treason, arson, murder, rape, robbery, burglary, manslaughter, kidnapping

Help America Vote Act in 2002 Turn to pg The Help America Vote Act is an act… To establish a program to provide funds to States to replace punch card voting systems To establish the Election Assistance Commission to assist in the administration of Federal elections To otherwise provide assistance with the administration of certain Federal election laws and programs To establish minimum election administration standards for States and units of local government with responsibility for the administration of Federal elections And for other purposes NOTE: Oct. 29, 2002 – [H.R. 3295]