Origin of Voting Rights Laws and the Constitutional Amendments that affected voting rights by giving more individuals the power to vote.
U.S. election laws date back to Article 1 of the Constitution. This gave states the responsibility of overseeing federal elections. Many Constitutional amendments and federal laws to protect voting rights have been passed since then.
Constitutional Amendments Affecting Voting Rights
The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote in 1870.
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave American women the right to vote.
The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes. The tax had been used in some states to keep those without means from voting in federal elections.
The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age for all elections to 18.
Your vote is your choice. Be an informed voter. Don’t let anyone tell you how you should vote. Vote for the change you want to see.