changes in u.s. electoral history. 15th amendment 1870

Changes in Changes in U.S. Electoral HistoryU.S. Electoral History

• 15th

Amendment

• 1870

What did the 15th Amendment What did the 15th Amendment really do?really do?

Poll TaxesGrandfather Clause

Literacy Tests

White Primaries

24th Amendment

V.R’s. Act 1965 Smith v. Allwright (1944)

• 17th Amendment17th Amendment

• 19131913

19th Amendment (1920)

26th Amendment (1971)

The 23rd AmendmentThe 23rd Amendment

• D.C. Voters

• 1960

The 24th AmendmentThe 24th Amendment

• Outlawed Poll Taxes

• 1964• Harper v.

Virginia State B.O.E. (1966)

Bloody Sunday at the Edmund Bloody Sunday at the Edmund Pettus BridgePettus Bridge

“When you pray, move your feet.”

Less than five months after the last of the three marches, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965

"This time when I looked there were women's faces

and there were black faces among the troopers.

And this time when we faced them, they saluted."

-Hon. John Lewis

Voting Rights Act of 1965•Suspended the use of literacy tests.

Federal Examiners and Poll Watchers

Voter Turnout in the U.S.Voter Turnout in the U.S.

Voter Turnout in the United States (recent)

•Presidential Elections– 49% - 62%

•State and Local Elections– 20% to 25%

•Midterm (Congressional) Elections– 40%

•Austria and Sweden-- +90%

• 2010 Midterm turnout rate to 40.3% • OHIO-

VEP- 46.0%VAP- 44.7%18 and older- 8,880,1202.2%Prisoners- 51,606

A little over a century ago, voter participation in these United

States was outstanding.•Nearly 80% of eligible voters turned out to vote

•1896- Indiana had 97% turnout

•1888- 10 states had over 90% turnout

•In the last few decades, turnout has hovered around 50%

Decline in Voting: Apparent or Real???

Parties Printed

Ballots and Counted

Votes

Floaters and Repeaters

“In Counting there is

strength.”

The decline in turnout was in response to things other then

voter lethargy, apathy, and just plain ‘slothiality’!

Progressive Era Reforms

• Australian Ballot

• Longer residency requirements

• Aliens could no longer vote

• Registration was made burdensome

The Australian BallotThe Australian Ballot

Residency RequirementsResidency Requirements

Registration Made More DifficultRegistration Made More Difficult

Practical Impact of Reform

Participation Rates Fell

Dramatically

Participation in presidential elections fell by 10%

• Voters in the United States have the opportunity to vote in more elections and more often than any other democracy in the world.

Voter FatigueVoter Fatigue

Motor-Voter BillMotor-Voter Bill

• Registration made less burdensome

• 1995

1996Turnout fell below 50%

200051.3%

20042004

60.7% 60.7% TurnoutTurnout

20082008

62% 62% TurnoutTurnout