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POLS 210G: American Constitutional Law: Amendments Related to Elections & Voting

This guide will help you find information about the United States Constitution and its amendments, including primary sources.

Constitutional Amendments Related to Voting Rights

When the U.S. Constitution was initially written in the late 18th century, people of color and women were excluded from voting. Since then, three amendments have been adopted that explicitly provide voting rights (also called suffrage) to the citizens who were originally left out.

  • 15th Amendment (ratified 1870): The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
  • 19th Amendment (ratified 1920): The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
  • 26th Amendment (ratified 1971): The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen (18) years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

 

E-book chapters on the Electoral College

Visit the Salem History e-book database to read about the Electoral College.

Here's a sample of the topics that are included:

 

The Electoral Process

  • Constitutional Requirements for the Electoral Process
  • The Evolution of the Electoral Process in the United States
  • The Sixth Party System 

The Electoral College and the Popular Vote

  • Electoral College
  • 2016 Election
  • National Popular Vote
  • Direct vs. Representative Democracy

Roger Sherman and the Establishment of the Electoral College

  • Early Life
  • Life's Work
  • Significance

The Twelfth Amendment and Its Influence on Future Elections

  • Defining Moment
  • Document Information
  • Historical Document
  • Document Themes and Analysis 

The Twenty-Third Amendment and Washington D.C.

  • Debate in Congress
  • Historical Background Documents
  • Original Primary Documents
  • Supreme Court Cases
  • Who's Who
  • America at that Time

Ongoing Debates Surrounding the Electoral College

  • Electoral College
  • Popular Vote
  • National Popular Vote
  • The 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016 Elections
  • The Compromise of 1877

Books About Voting Rights