13.2 Constitutional Amendments Related to Voting

Constitutional amendments have dramatically expanded voting rights in the US. The 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments progressively extended suffrage to African Americans, women, the poor, and young adults, reshaping the electorate.

These amendments faced resistance and required further legislation to enforce. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 and court rulings on equal protection and "one person, one vote" have been crucial in implementing these constitutional voting rights.

Voting Rights Amendments

Expansion of Suffrage Through Constitutional Amendments

Top images from around the web for Expansion of Suffrage Through Constitutional Amendments

• 

  Women's suffrage in the United States - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The Campaign for Suffrage View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Women's suffrage in the United States - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Women's suffrage in the United States - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The Campaign for Suffrage View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Expansion of Suffrage Through Constitutional Amendments

• 

  Women's suffrage in the United States - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The Campaign for Suffrage View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Women's suffrage in the United States - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  Women's suffrage in the United States - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The Campaign for Suffrage View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• 15th Amendment ratified in 1870 prohibited denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude
  • Aimed to enfranchise African American men after the Civil War
  • Faced significant resistance in Southern states through Jim Crow laws and other discriminatory practices
  • Led to the implementation of literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses to circumvent the amendment
• 19th Amendment ratified in 1920 prohibited denial of voting rights on the basis of sex
  • Culmination of the women's suffrage movement that began in the mid-19th century
  • Extended voting rights to approximately 26 million women
  • Faced opposition from anti-suffragists who argued it would destabilize the family unit
• 24th Amendment ratified in 1964 prohibited poll taxes in federal elections
  • Eliminated a common method used to disenfranchise poor voters, particularly African Americans in the South
  • Applied only to federal elections initially, but was later extended to state elections through Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections (1966)
  • Resulted in increased voter turnout among low-income and minority communities
• 26th Amendment ratified in 1971 lowered the voting age to 18 for all elections
  • Responded to the argument "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" during the Vietnam War
  • Enfranchised approximately 11 million new voters between ages 18-21
  • Aimed to increase youth participation in the democratic process

Impact and Enforcement of Voting Rights Amendments

• Voting Rights Act of 1965 provided federal oversight to enforce the 15th Amendment
  • Established preclearance requirements for states with a history of discrimination
  • Banned literacy tests and other discriminatory voting practices
  • Led to significant increases in African American voter registration and participation
• Continued challenges in implementing voting rights amendments
  • Voter ID laws and their potential impact on minority and low-income voters
  • Gerrymandering and its effects on the principle of equal representation
  • Ongoing debates over felony disenfranchisement and voting rights restoration

Constitutional Voting Principles

Equal Protection and Voting Rights

• Equal Protection Clause found in the 14th Amendment applies to voting rights
  • Requires states to treat all citizens equally under the law, including in matters of voting
  • Basis for numerous Supreme Court decisions on voting rights and electoral processes
  • Led to the striking down of discriminatory voting practices (literacy tests, racial gerrymandering)
• Application of Equal Protection to voting rights cases
  • Bush v. Gore (2000) applied Equal Protection to vote-counting procedures
  • Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008) upheld voter ID laws under Equal Protection analysis
  • Shelby County v. Holder (2013) struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act based on Equal Protection concerns

One Person, One Vote Principle

• One person, one vote principle established by the Supreme Court in the 1960s
  • Requires electoral districts to have roughly equal populations
  • Aims to ensure each person's vote carries equal weight in elections
  • Derived from the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment
• Key Supreme Court cases establishing and refining the principle
  • Baker v. Carr (1962) ruled that redistricting issues were subject to judicial review
  • Reynolds v. Sims (1964) required state legislative districts to have roughly equal populations
  • Wesberry v. Sanders (1964) applied the principle to congressional districts
• Ongoing challenges and debates surrounding one person, one vote
  • Consideration of total population vs. eligible voters in districting (Evenwel v. Abbott, 2016)
  • Impact of prison gerrymandering on the principle
  • Debates over representation for non-citizens and children in district population counts