Results: To Vote or Not To Vote? That Is the Question.

The founding fathers for the United States may have believed in democracy but they still endorsed strict limits on voting. The Constitution originally left it to states to determine qualifications to vote in elections. For decades, voting was restricted to white male property owners. Did you know some states used religious tests to make sure only Christian men voted?

State legislation began to limit the property requirement for voting in the early part of the 19th century. Following the Civil War, Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution which stated no one could be denied the right to vote because of their race. However, many states (particularly in the South) used a variety of barriers. Did you know about the literacy tests or the poll taxes to deliberately keep African American men from voting?

Early in the 20th century women were only able to vote in a handful of states. Marches, protests and activism brought about a change due in part to Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul (considered the major architects of Women's Suffrage). Women nationwide won the right to vote when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified in 1920. Did you know President Woodrow Wilson made a speech to Congress in 1918 publicly endorsing women's voting rights?

The voting rights dilemma came to a head in the 1960's as many states insisted on policies such as literacy tests, poll taxes, English-language requirements, etc to suppress the vote of people of color, immigrants and low income populations. Poll taxes forced people to pay in order to vote. In March 1965, activists organized protest marches from Selma, Alabama to the state capital of Montgomery. The first march came to be known as "Bloody Sunday" because of attacks by police and others on the marchers. A second march was cut short but finally a throng of thousands arrived in Montgomery on March 24th to draw attention to the issue of voting rights. Were you aware the 24th Amendment targets poll taxes?

Congress passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Were you aware President Lyndon Johnson signed the measure on August 6th with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and other icons of the Civil Rights movement present?

A flurry of activity brought more changes to equalize voting rights. In 1971, President Nixon signed the 26th Amendment lowering the voting age to 18 from 21. In 1975, Congress added new provisions to protect members of language minority groups. Jurisdictions were required to provide voting materials in other languages in addition to English and provide multilingual assistance at the polls. In 1982, Congress required states to make voting more accessible to the elderly and people with disabilities. In 1993, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act. It allowed citizens to register to vote when they applied for their driver's license. Did you know this Act was also known as "motor voter"?

Although comments are welcome and much appreciated, this survey is not to inquire about political parties or individual politicians so please let's not head in that direction. It's just to emphasize the deep struggles and high prices various groups have dealt with in order to vote. Lives were lost. Lives that belonged to people who were loved... someone's son, daughter, mother or father. Will you remember how important voting is as you head to the polls?