Voting Limitations in Early America Voting is making a choice among alternatives in an election. The right to vote is subject to regulations and restrictions. Until the first half of the 1800s, voting was generally limited to white, property- owning men. After the Constitution was adopted, states had their own voting rules. In the early 1800s, state legislatures abolished property and religious requirements.

African American Suffrage Initially, no enslaved persons and few free African Americans could vote. The Fifteenth Amendment provided the first federal voting rules required of the states. The grandfather clause and literacy tests were designed to disenfranchise African American voters. Use of a poll tax in national elections was outlawed by the Twenty-fourth Amendment. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was broadened by voting rights laws in 1970, 1975, and 1982.

Suffrage for Women and Youth Women began an organized fight for suffrage in the mid-1800s. By 1914, eleven western states allowed women to vote. The Nineteenth Amendment granted women suffrage on the national level. The Twenty-sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age to 18.

The Structure of Elections Election cycles, term limits, and ballot issues all influence voter choices at the polls. Federal election cycles are determined by the term lengths set out in the Constitution. The federal election cycle ensures that the entire government will not turn over at the same time. Some, but not all, federal and state positions have term limits. In many states, citizens vote on legislative referendums, popular referendums, and initiatives.

Voters’ Election Choices Voters’ personal backgrounds affect their decisions. Voters are also influenced by loyalty, or lack of loyalty, to a political party. Voters look for a variety of qualifications in candidates for office. Voters are typically most concerned with issues that directly affect them.

Voter Participation Voter participation in the U.S. is low compared to many other democracies around the world. Many citizens do not vote because of registration practices or little party involvement. Voter turnout is impacted by the sheer number of elections and new requirements for voting. Citizens who vote regularly have positive attitudes toward government and citizenship. A number of reforms are being considered to make voting more convenient.

Campaign Strategies A campaign manager is responsible for the overall strategy and planning in a campaign. A large election campaign expenditure is advertising, much of which is propaganda. Television is the most important communication tool for a presidential candidate. Social media can be a powerful and cost- effective campaign tool.

Campaign Finance Efforts to regulate money in campaigns are controversial. Limits on campaign spending and donations can be seen as limits on free speech. Presidential candidates who receive public funds must limit the amount spent by their campaign. Direct funding, or hard money, comes from contributions made directly to a candidate. Indirect funding, or soft money, comes from organizations independent from a campaign.

Voting Qualifications and Voter Registration States require U.S. citizenship and some period of state residence in order to vote. To vote, one must first be registered, or enrolled with the local government. Registration is required to prevent voter fraud. You must complete a registration form in order to become eligible to vote. Political parties and nonpartisan groups help people register to vote.

Voting Voting in the United States is optional, but it is an important part of democracy. Voters should be informed about the issues and candidates that will be on the ballot. Voters are assigned a polling place within their precinct and near their residence. Voting procedures and ballots vary from state to state, and voters are entitled to assistance. When the polls close, the ballots are forwarded to the local canvassing board for counting.