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Name:______________________________ Date: ________
Government
Unit #3
The Political Process
May I Vote?
Answer the question “May I vote?” for each of these people. Use your Voting Rights Use the timeline to briefly
explain why the person may or may not vote. Pay attention to the year that is given for each situation.
(1920) I am a Native American woman living in North Dakota. Many generations of my family have lived
here. This year the 19th Amendment was passed. Does that mean I can vote?
(1972) I am excited because even though I’m only an 18 year old senior in high school, I’m working in this
year’s presidential campaign, passing out flyers and putting posters in yards. But do I get to vote?
(1932) I am an African American man living in Mississippi. I thought the 15th Amendment gave me the right
to vote. Now they tell me I have to take a really hard test to prove I can read before I can vote. May I vote?
(1892) I am a woman living in Wyoming, where there’s lots of freedom and wide open spaces. I’m going to
be the first one in line to vote this year. Will anyone stop me?
(1836) I am the son of Martin de Leon, the only Mexican to start a settlement in Texas. My family owns a
large ranch in south Texas. After defeating Mexico in the Texas Revolution, we’ve now become the Republic
of Texas, and I’m looking forward to voting for our first President. May I vote?
(1796) I am Abigail Adams and my husband is running for President. I can’t wait to get all my friends together
and go vote for him. Women can make a big difference in an election. May I vote for my husband?
(1968) My name is Sofia. I immigrated to this country 8 years ago. Even though I’m now an American citizen,
I can’t read or write English very well, but I know who I want to vote for in the Presidential election. May I
vote?
(1960) I live in Washington D.C. and work at the Democratic Party’s headquarters. I am excited about voting
for our candidate for President, John Kennedy. May I vote?
(2009) I live in Indiana and want to vote. I do not have a driver’s license or other form of government
identification. May I vote?
(2008) I live in Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. I am considered a U.S. citizen and am subject to
military service and most federal laws, but I do not pay federal income taxes on locally made earnings. I want
to vote in the General Election of 2008 for President of the U. S. May I vote?
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 Blacks 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 Indians.
1872 Sojourner Truth tried to vote and was turned away. Black 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 black males ruled unconstitutional.
1920 19th Amendment passed, allowing all women citizens to vote.
1924 Native Americans 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 US territories still may not vote for President.
1962 New Mexico was the last state to allow Native Americans 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.