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Overview
Voting for a president happens every four years. This allows citizens to vote for the president they want to govern the United States. Voting is an easy process that has been perfected throughout the past years. Using the Electoral College, citizens can vote for presidents indirectly. This means the citizens vote for electors who are awarded all the electoral votes. The electors then cast their vote on who they want to be president. Unfortunately, in the past, not everyone who lives in the States could vote for president. It’s very important to know how to vote, in the past, women and African Americans could not vote.
Protest which help lead to the Voting Rights Act of 1965
African Americans
African Americans have been denied their citizenship and were slaves for a long time. However, over time, they have been able to fight for their rights. There were many protests held by African Americans to try to get their rights. Eventually, the 13th Amendment was ratified, abolishing slavery. After the 13th amendment, the 14th was made, giving all men born or naturalized in the U.S. citizenship. The 15th Amendment gave African Americans the right to vote, however, many states still were very discriminating against Africans. States had things like literacy tests and poll taxes to try to make black voters not be able to vote. Many protests and big events took place, which have gotten violent, leading to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This act prohibited racial discrimination in voting, letting black voters cast their votes.
Women
African Americans are not the only group who have not gotten their rights. Throughout history, women have not always had all the same rights as men, one of these being voting privileges. However, women today have been able to achieve their voting rights, but not without struggle. 3 major events led to women's suffrage, the women's suffrage parade, Jeanette Rankin's election to Congress, and finally the 19th amendment. On March 3, 1913, the women's suffrage parade took place in Washington D.C. This was organized by the National American Woman Suffrage Association ( NAWSA), and there were thousands of women walking miles to protest for their right to vote. In 1913, Jeanette Rankin was elected as the first woman in Congress. This showed a lot of hope for women in 1913 since Jeanette entered Congress and could vote. These events led to the 19th Amendment being ratified on June 4, 1920. This amendment finally gave women the right to vote.
Voting Process
Voting has always been a nationwide activity. Knowing how to vote is important and ensures that you have a voice in society. In the current day, there are a couple of requirements to be able to vote. You need to be at least 18 years old by election day, a U.S. citizen, and be registered to vote before the deadline. However, you can have your voting rights taken away if you are in jail. Voting for president might seem confusing or a difficult task, but this is not the case, as there are a few easy steps. First, make sure that you are registered to vote, this includes having citizenship. On election day, go to the local voting booth and bring your ID if required. The instructions are on the ballot. Mark your choices legibly, and submit your ballot. Once you are done, you can verify your vote by checking online if your state has the option to do so.
Conclusion
Voting rights in the U.S. have changed significantly, allowing women and African Americans to vote. The process of voting is also simple, making it easy for new voters to cast their votes quickly. Protests and events like the women's suffrage parade, Jeanette Rankin's election, and the 19th Amendment granted women voting rights, while many protests, amendments from the Constitution, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 made sure African Americans had the right to vote. Voting is important because it is a good way to show that even 1 person has a voice in society. It also leads to a better nation by electing a good leader.
Sources
“Woman’s Suffrage.” National Women’s History Museum, 2019, www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/topics/womans-suffrage.
Library of Congress. “Women’s Suffrage | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress.” Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/womens-suffrage/.
National Museum of African American History & Culture. “150 Years and Counting.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 7 Oct. 2020, nmaahc.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/reconstruction/voting-rights.
“Voting Rights.” National Archives, 31 Aug. 2022, www.archives.gov/news/topics/voting-rights.
“How to Vote or Register to Vote | USAGov.” Usa.gov, 2019, www.usa.gov/how-to-vote.
AJ. “When Do Black Americans Get Their Human Rights? | Commentary.” YouTube, 8 July 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8z231-OIBg.
CrashCourse. “Women’s Suffrage: Crash Course US History #31.” YouTube, 27 Sept. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGEMscZE5dY.
“Voting Process.” Education.nationalgeographic.org, education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/resource-library-voting-process/.
Library of Congress. “Who Can Vote Today? | the Right to Vote | Elections | Classroom Materials at the Library of Congress | Library of Congress.” Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/elections/right-to-vote/who-can-vote-today/.
Stern, Joshua Michael, et al. “Swing Vote.” IMDb, 1 Aug. 2008, www.imdb.com/title/tt1027862/.
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