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U.S. Government
Social Studies
Unit: 03 Lesson: 01
Voting Rights Timeline
1789
U. S. Constitution ratified, giving states the right to decide who is eligible to vote. In most states,
only white men who owned property could vote. First elections held under the new Constitution.
1790
Naturalization Law passed stating only white immigrants may become citizens and vote.
1790
The United States Constitution mandates that a census be taken every ten years in order to
apportion the number of members of the United States House of Representatives. The first
U.S. Census was conducted in 1790.
1807
Women lost the right to vote in all states.
1830
Most states have abolished property and religious voting tests.
1836
Texas became an independent country. Constitution calls for male suffrage.
1838
Kentucky reintroduced women’s suffrage for widows.
1848
Wisconsin became a state. Any resident of Wisconsin for one year could vote.
1850
Literacy Tests instituted as a requirement to vote in many states – Voters must be able to read
and write English to vote.
1855
African Americans could vote in only five states.
1856
North Carolina became the last state to remove the requirement to own property to vote.
1866
14th Amendment passed. All male citizens, age 21 and older, could vote.
1866
Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Anthony start the American Equal Rights Association to advocate
for women’s suffrage.
1869
15th Amendment passed. All men, regardless of race, color, or previous servitude (having been
a slave), could vote.
1870
Naturalization Act – whites and African American immigrants could become citizens and vote,
not Asians or American Indians.
1872
Sojourner Truth tried to vote and was turned away. African American voters in the South
generally faced discrimination.
1878
A bill was introduced in Congress to allow women to vote, but failed to pass.
1888
Voting restrictions existed in many states, such as payment of a poll tax, or voting only if your
grandfather had voted (Grandfather Clause).
1889
Wyoming becomes the first state to allow all women full voting rights.
1915
Grandfather Clause used to disenfranchise African American males ruled unconstitutional.
1920
19th Amendment passed, allowing all women citizens to vote.
©2012, TESCCC
04/29/13
page 1 of 2
U.S. Government
HS Social Studies
Unit: 03 Lesson: 01
1924
American Indians could become citizens and vote under the Indian Citizenship Act.
1942
Asian immigrants could become citizens and vote.
1944
White Primary Laws, saying only whites could join a political party and vote in that party’s
nominating election (primary) ruled unconstitutional.
1961
23rd Amendment passed allowing the residents of Washington, D.C., to vote in presidential
elections, but residents of U.S. territories still may not vote for President.
1962
New Mexico was the last state to allow American Indians to vote.
1962
Baker v. Carr The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal courts could intervene in and decide
reapportionment cases.
1964
24th Amendment passed. No poll taxes allowed.
1964
Reynolds v. Sims The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the 14th amendment, under the “equal
protection clause” requires that every district (legislative) have equal population, thus equal
representation. (Also referred to as “one person, one vote”)
1965
Prominent Americans march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to advocate for civil and
voting rights; violent attacks are made on marchers by law enforcement.
1965
Voting Rights Act – Passed in response to Selma marches, outlawed literacy tests and sent
federal voting registrars to the South for enforcement of registration laws.
1971
26th Amendment passed – changed minimum voting age to 18.
1975
Amended Voting Rights Act passed – enables poor speakers of English to participate more
easily by requiring voting materials to be printed in English and another language where
significant numbers of non-English speakers reside.
1993
National Voter Registration Act (“Motor Voter” Law) makes registration more uniform and
accessible throughout the U.S., requiring states to provide opportunities to register to vote in
government offices, or to register to vote by mail, postage free.
2002
Passage of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) providing assistance to states to replace punch
card voting machines and to provide easier access to polling places for the disabled; permits
states to require a government issued photo ID to register or to vote.
2008
Supreme Court upholds an Indiana voting law requiring voters to show a valid government
issued ID (such as a driver’s license) to cast a ballot. Voters who did not have such an ID could
cast a provisional ballot which would be counted if they obtained the ID in ten days. Persons
who did not have a driver’s license could obtain a free voter ID card from the state.
May i vote?. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://texaslre.org
© 2012, TESCC
04/29/13
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