Your right to vote

We view voting as an acknowledged right here in the United States. In Washington state, we receive our ballot in the mail, we do our personal research, make our choices, and mail in our completed ballot. Currently, eight states allow mail in ballots for all elections, while two states allow counties to opt into conducting elections by mail. Nine states allow specific small elections to be conducted by mail, and four states permit all-mail elections for certain small jurisdictions. The remaining states require you to cast your ballot at a designated polling location.

Where did this right to vote begin? The United States has gone through a long metamorphosis regarding who is and is not allowed to vote. The protection of citizen’s voting rights, as well as who is allowed to vote, have changed with passage of Federal Laws and constitutional amendments.

Article 1, section 4 of The United States Constitution gives states the responsibility of overseeing federal elections. “The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof…”

At one time, women were not allowed to vote. On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified by congress allowing women to vote. That was just 104 years ago. “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 sex.”

Let’s look back further into our nation’s voting rights history. On February 3, 1870 the 15th Amendment was ratified by congress. It removed race and color from the voting equation. “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.”

Historically, a poll tax was a prerequisite to one’s registration for voting. This form of taxation was common during the colonial period of our nation’s history. Poll taxes were not unique to southern states in our history. California, Maine, Minnesota and Vermont were states with a poll tax. Later, in the post-Civil War period, some southern states, those with a history of shunning certain citizens, carried out efforts to keep those citizens from casting a ballot. Poll taxes, which applied to all, as well as voter literacy tests were implemented to eliminate totally or partially some people from voting.

The 24th Amendment became part of the U.S. Constitution on January 23, 1964. “The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.”

The Voting Rights Act of 1965, amended the 15th Amendment of the Constitution, by adding many specific enforcement details, including the elimination of literacy tests. “AN ACT To enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes.”

This brief historical journey of U.S. voting and voter rights brings us to the last amendment. On July 1, 1971, the 26th Amendment was ratified. This amendment is simple and clear. “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.”

Each of the above amendments came with this statement, “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

Thoughtful voters carefully research the initiatives and people appearing on their ballot. Are the candidates honorable, of good character and are prepared to hold public office? Are initiatives intended to have a positive change for society if passed?

This year we cast our votes in our National Election. Regarding our nation’s history, Walter Cronkite summed it up with this statement. “History must share with reading, writing and arithmetic first rank as the most important subjects in the curriculum. Understanding the issues on which citizens of a republic are expected to vote is impossible without an understanding of the past.”

Newspaper Columnist Bill Vaughan wrote this observation about our voting rights. “A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won’t cross the street to vote in a national election.”