Question

as a democratic republic. That means voters elect representatives at the national level of government. (This system is mimicked at state and local levels.) Elected officials, from small-town mayors to the president of the United States, are then empowered to address voters' concerns and represent their interests.

Historically, though, the right to vote and who can vote has often been up for debate. Different groups have had to organize and push for that right. They include Native Peoples, Black Americans, women, and young adults among them. Voting is essential to the legitimacy of the government. It is so important that different amendments have been added to the Constitution to establish or protect it as a right.

Voting, though, is more than checking boxes at the polling place. There are rules that must be followed. There is also a meaningful history that helps explain why no one should take this right for granted.

Old Enough to Vote

In the United States, people can't become voters unless they sign up. Voter registration requires three qualifications. Would-be voters must be: 1) American citizens; 2) residents of the state in which they are registering; and 3) at least 18 years old on Election Day.

The debate over the legal voting age shows how the Constitution relates to voting rights. Before 1971, people had to be 21 years old to vote in most U.S. states. But in the 1960s and 1970s, some people argued in favor of lowering the national voting age to 18. At the time, thousands of young men were fighting in the Vietnam War. People argued that it was unfair that these soldiers were allowed to fight but not vote because of their age.

Political pressure led to the passing of the 26th Amendment in 1971. It states that citizens who are 18 years or older cannot be denied the right to vote because of age.

Expanding Voting Rights

Voting rights have changed as the United States changed. Before 1870, only White adult men could vote in elections. The passage of the 15th Amendment that year granted that right to all adult male American citizens, regardless of race.

Women had an even longer wait to reach the voting booth. In some parts of the U.S., women could vote as early as 1869. However, it took the work of the women's rights movement to get this right extended nationwide. Passed in 1920, the 19th Amendment says the government cannot deny U.S. citizens the right to vote because of their sex.

The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 further expanded voting rights. It granted Native Peoples full rights and privileges as citizens. This included the right to vote. Previously they had been considered members of their own nations rather than American citizens.

Your Vote Counts

Voting enables citizens to have a say in the country's laws, leaders, and more. In addition, regular elections give voters the recurring opportunity to change leaders and laws as times change.

So, a single vote may be just one in thousands or millions. Still, it counts. Not voting means others are making choices for us, whether we like those choices or not. During a big election, voting may seem like a minor act. However, every vote is a meaningful contribution to the world's longest-lived democracy.

Portions of this reading were created by iCivics, Inc. and are used with their permission.

Think about and discuss these questions:
What facts from the article and video can you use to create a timeline of U.S. voting rights?
In some countries, voters must go cast a vote. In your opinion, should voters be required to vote?
Question 7


7 / 8

Which of these is a statement of opinion?

Elected officials in the United States represent American voters.
Voting rights in the United States have expanded over the years.
Federal elections in the United States matter more than local ones.
Voters in national elections must be citizens of the United States.

Answer 1

"Federal elections in the United States matter more than local ones."

This is an opinion because it expresses a value judgment about importance. The other statements are factual/legal claims that can be checked (representation as part of the system, historical expansion of voting rights, and the citizenship requirement for national elections).