Voting Rights Essay

number of credible incidents of voter impersonation (Voting-Rights Victories, 3). Even more striking is that “many more people have been blocked from the polls by GOP voter-suppression efforts than have cast fraudulent votes” yet the Republican National Committee released a statement on August 6, 2016, which was the 51st anniversary of the VRA, that the GOP “’remains committed to ensuring access and fairness at the ballot box’” (Voting Rights Victories,

As citizens, all Americans are given certain unalienable rights- the right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. America has not always lived up to these standards of equality for all citizens. In fact, some U.S. citizens have and continue to go through quite a lot of trouble to gain equality, specifically in the voting rights department. In the early years of the United States, voting laws were very strict and only a select few people were able to vote. In 1776, only people who owned

States have utilized their discretion over the time, place, and manner to alienate large segments of the voting population in the pass. From the Jim Crow era literacy tests and poll taxes, to modern-day voter ID laws, representatives have attempted to disenfranchise voters at every turn. Thought the Voting Rights Act of 1965 would have ideally rid America of these obstacles by this point, vestiges of the manipulation remain. The passage of years has brought a large degree of uniformity to election

are granted the right to elect politicians to represent them. From local, to state and then on to the national level, voters may partake in elections. Although U.S. citizens have the right to vote, as displayed in the low voter turnout, many American voters do not exercise this right due to an array of reasons. In more recent national elections, of the registered voters, only about sixty percent actually participated in the election by casting a vote. Various aspects affect voting turnout. Some people

The constitution laid the groundwork for America's citizens giving essential rights to everyone. That would have been the ideal America; Humans are flawed and there of course has to be some form of disagreement. Throughout America's existence there have been arguments, public unrest, deadly altercations and disagreements when it comes to people's rights. An instance of this can be shown through Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign. He dreamed of abolishing the mentality of the south not allowing

discriminated against their voting rights. They have not only been unrepresented in the number of candidates running for positions but also the number of voters who are registered and participate in elections. After the Voting Rights Act of 1965, it was prohibited for voters to be racially discriminated against. But since then, many revisions have been added, tightening the rules for registering and participating in voting. Many of these rules prevent minorities from voting but aren’t considered racially

So, when I cast my ballot to vote, I do so in honor of those who sacrificed and worked tirelessly to guarantee my right as an African American and as a woman. My first official voting experience took place during the Houston Mayoral Election of 2009. Unlike other voters—young and older—I developed a strong sense with whom and what I was voting for. Mayor Bill White proudly served the city of Houston for three terms and was tough to replace. I did my research on the candidates’

adopted strategic frameworks that were to guide towards a new era devoid of discrimination. The aspect of political participation was one fundamental instrument that was subsequently integrated into the American social dynamics. The enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 sought to empower the minority groups to participate in the electoral processes, and to eliminate the barriers that existed in the political landscape. Some of the achievements of the act

American citizen is the right to vote. The United States Constitution did not initially define who was eligible to vote, allowing each state to determine who was eligible based on their own standards. As our country developed, we began to see a growing number of activist movements in different communities such as that of African Americans and women. The culmination of Jim Crow laws, state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States lead to civil rights movements for African

A blazing sun beats down on a desolate parking lot. A man with a clipboard desperately searches for signatures, begging for his rights to be returned. This man is a felon, and his right to vote has been taken away. Approximately 5.85 million Americans can’t vote due to a felony charge (Newsy). Although it can be argued that felons have lost their privilege to vote, felon disenfranchisement has affected and still affects a disproportionate amount of people of color, takes out a huge voter block, and