Voter Qualifications Chapter 6-Section 2

Universal Requirements Today, anyone who wants to vote must satisfy the qualifications regarding three factors: Citizenship Residence Age

Universal Requirements-Citizenship Alien-Foreign born residents who have not yet become citizens and are generally denied the right to vote States can draw distinctions between native born and naturalized citizens with regard to suffrage. Pennsylvania Constitution states that a potential voter must be a citizen for one month before you can vote

Universal Requirements-Residence Must be a legal resident of the state in which he or she wished to vote Must live in the state for a certain period of time

Universal Requirements-Residence The States have adopted residency requirements for two distinct reasons: 1.) keep political machine from brining in outsiders to influence election 2.) too allow new voters at least some time to become familiar with the candidates and the issues Typical sixty to ninety days in the country and thirty days local However, most states only require thirty days total

Universal Requirements-Residence Voting Rights Act of 1970- Banned any requirement over 30 days Supreme Court said it conflicted with 14th Amendment “equal protection clause” Supreme Court said “30 days appears to be ample period of time.

Universal Requirements-Residence Transient-A person who plans to live in a state for only a short time are usually prevented from gaining legal residence status there. Nearly every state prohibits transients from voting in a state their not a resident. This can include: Soldiers College students One can not vote in a state when they are only temporary residences

Universal Requirements-Age Age- 26th amendment- right of 18 year old to vote No state can have a minimum age higher than eighteen Extends suffrage to those at least eighteen State can make the voting age less than eighteen if it chooses to

Universal Requirements-Age Until the 26th Amendment passed the voting age was 21 Georgia first to allow 18 year old to vote (1943) Kentucky-18, 1955 Alaska-19, 1959 Hawaii-20, 1959

Registration Registration- Procedure of voter identification intended to prevent fraudulent voting Gives elected officials a list of qualified voters

Registration Requirements- In forty-nine of the fifty states (North Dakota being the exception) you must be registered in order to vote Became common in 1900’s In most states you must register 20-30 days before the election Voter Registration- A prospective voter must usually register their name, age, place of birth, present address and length of residence

Registration Other Issues with Voting- Purged-Every four years if you do not vote you are removed or purged Poll Books-Official list of qualified voters in each precinct

Literacy Tests and Tax Payments Literacy Tests and Tax Payment (Poll Taxes)- Literacy- A person’s ability to read and write Today no state has suffrage based on voter literacy Connecticut and Massachusetts had literacy tests in 1855 designed to limit the Irish Catholic immigrants coming into New England In the south literacy tests often asked whites to read something simple while African Americans were asked to read something complex

Literacy Tests and Tax Payments Congress banned literacy qualification in 1970 Tax Payments- (also known as poll taxes) proved ownership of property and met common suffrage qualifications. Some states demanded a poll tax to vote Their purpose was meant to discourage African American voters The 24th Amendment outlawed Poll Taxes as a requirement for voting

Persons Denied the Vote Even today for various reasons every State still purposely denies the right to vote to some of it’s residents- These people include: People found mentally incompetent Those convicted of serious crimes (felonies) However, some previous felons can regain the right to vote Those convicted of bribery and ballot-box stuffing Some states do not allow those dishonorably discharged from the military to vote