Exam 5: Voting,campaigns,and Elections

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The extension of suffrage in the United States has been a gradual process, with various groups gaining the right to vote over time.

In terms of race, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote. However, it wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that legal barriers to voting for African Americans, such as literacy tests and poll taxes, were abolished.

In terms of gender, women were not granted the right to vote until the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. This was the result of decades of activism and advocacy by the women's suffrage movement.

In terms of age, the 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, granting young adults the right to vote. This change was largely driven by the fact that 18-year-olds were being drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, yet were not allowed to vote for the leaders making decisions about the war.

In Texas, various factors have historically limited suffrage. For example, during the Jim Crow era, discriminatory practices such as poll taxes and literacy tests were used to prevent African Americans from voting. Additionally, Texas has a history of gerrymandering, which is the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor one party or class. This has had the effect of diluting the voting power of certain groups.

Furthermore, Texas has also implemented voter ID laws, which require voters to present specific forms of identification in order to cast a ballot. Critics argue that these laws disproportionately affect minority and low-income voters, who may have difficulty obtaining the required forms of ID.

Overall, while the right to vote is a fundamental aspect of citizenship in the United States, the extension of suffrage has been a complex and ongoing process, with various groups facing barriers to exercising this right.