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