Jake Long, Sam Cizmar, Kevin Dobbins, Isabel Adelson

Voting Rights/Voting Discrimination A landmark piece of national legislation in the United States that prohibits discrimination in voting. Act prohibits states and local governments from imposing any voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure.

Historical Background #23 The amendment was proposed by Congress on June 17, 1960, and ratified by the states on March 29, The first Presidential election in which it was in effect was the presidential election of 1964.

Amendment #23 Gives residents of Washington DC the right to vote for representatives in the electoral college Passed on June 16, 1960 Ratified March 29, 1961 Did not give them representation in congress

Court Case It’s a 9 th circuit court of appeals case. It was attorney general of Guam Includes a discussion on whether the residents of Guam have the right to vote for a president

Modern Use The 23 rd amendment was last used in the 2012 presidential election. The amendment is used every 4 years. It allows DC to receive 3 electoral votes After the 23 rd amendment was added their 538 electoral college votes.

Historical Background #24 Voting could not be limited by race, color or previous condition. The fifteenth amendment started the new voting rules

Amendment #24 Prohibits both congress and the states from conditioning the right to vote in federal elections on payment of a poll tax. (You don’t have to pay to vote)

Court Case The poll tax survived a legal challenge in the 1937 supreme court case Breedlove v. Suttles, which ruled that the privilege of voting is not derived from the United States.

Modern Uses Many southern states adopted a poll tax in the late 1800s. This meant that even though the 15 th amendment gave former slaves the right to vote, many poor people. Because they didn’t want blacks to vote and they knew they were poor, the government placed a poll tax, knowing they couldn’t pay it, therefore blacks could not vote.

Historical Background #26 U.S. supreme court ruled that congress had the right to regulate the minimum age in federal elections.

Amendment #26 U.S. constitution prohibits the states and the federal government from setting a voting age higher than eighteen.

Court Case The supreme court upheld the lowered national voting age in federal elections but not in state elections. States were faced with the complexity and expense of keeping track of who was allowed to vote in various elections. John Mithell challenged voting rights in They claimed that only the states, not congress, have the authority to establish qualification rulers for voters in state and local elections.

Modern Use Allows people 18 or older to become involved as good citizens. If they fight for their country they should have the right to vote 18 year olds were drafted to fight in the Vietnam war, but were not allowed to vote