The Right to Vote Case Study
The 15th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States ensures that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." This Amendment was written and ratified during the reconstruction period after the US Civil War. (1865-1870). This was a time when millions of people who had been enslaved were finally free. They were organizing and claiming rights – one of those rights was the right to vote. But throughout the southern US and even in parts of the north former slaves were denied the right to vote. They were harassed, even killed, if they tried to vote. The US Congress took action and wrote the 15th. The 15th amendment had some flaws. First, women were not included. They did not win the right to vote until 1920 when the 19th changed the flaw in the 15th about who could vote. Some states made people pay, “poll taxes” which most poor people, especially former slaves could not pay. Other states created “literacy tests” which were randomly given to people who the states did not want to have the right to vote. In 1965 the Voting Rights Act put an end to these obstacles and outlawed any attempts to prevent citizens from their right to vote.
Recently, the US Supreme Court ruled that parts of the act were no longer necessary – especially the part that made some of the states with the worst voter laws account for how they were making voting accessible in every election. At the same time, several states were attempting to “tighten up” voting processes and practices. For example, in some states voters who once were able to vote early are no longer able to do so. In other states, some voters need to show a photo ID along with their registration card. Many states believe that voter laws are best left to the states to make. Others are trying to create a set of national voting guidelines. National guidelines will make sure all people have equal access to voting.
Find out
1. Data – what are examples of state voting requirements? What is the data on voter fraud in the US? How many people have been denied the right to vote in recent elections? Are certain populations targeted? Are people who often vote for a specific political party targeted? How many people actually vote?
2. Experiences – find out what the experiences of people who vote, or who are denied the right to vote?
3. Find out the impact of these new state laws, what would be the impact or problems of a national set of voting guidelines?
4. Find out the perspectives (opinions) of different lawmakers involved in writing these laws. Who is for it and why? Who is against it and why? What do they believe about voting and why?
5. Find public opinion information – find surveys from several sources to show how different groups of people see these voting laws and how they think about national voting laws?
6. Find out who gains or benefits from having state laws? National laws?
7. How did these different new voting laws come to exist? What is the history?
To do this work, you will need to apply some research skills. Look at the guidelines for direction on what to do.