Class Notes | Voting
⤏ WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY GISSELLE PERNETT AND EDEN HAIN
⤏ EDITED BY FAYE ORLOVE
Class Notes is a recurring series exploring topics that we find hard to understand (purposefully or otherwise!). Started as Instagram infographics, Class Notes has shifted into a monthly Jr Hi the Magazine feature which you can read here!
History of voting
Some of us used to not be able to vote. Some of us still can’t vote. This venn diagram may be a circle.
In 1788 the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified, declaring that each of the 13 states could make up their own voting regulations. In case this wasn’t so obvious to you, this means that white Anglo-Saxon Protestant males who own property and are older than 21, are the only people allowed to vote. Since these are the only responsible, level headed citizens. Duh. By the mid 1820s the first major change to increase the number of individuals who can vote swept the nation. Now you don’t have to be a white Christian over the age of 21 who owns property, you can be Jewish (or any other religion…) and you don’t have to own property!
On February 3rd, 1870, Black men win the right to vote through the passage of the 14th Amendment. Sure, it would’ve been easier to handle this in one fell swoop when ending slavery and ratifying the 13th Amendment, but when has America ever taken a quick or easy route.
On August 18th, 1920, white women win the right to vote through the passage of the 19th amendment. This was a nearly century-long battle that began in 1848 with the Seneca Falls Convention in New York led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. It should be noted that many of the leaders of the women’s suffrage movement were elitist racists who piggy-backed off of abolitionist rhetoric to further their cause.
On June 2nd, 1924, all Indigenous peoples become naturalized citizens of the United States of America and win the right to vote through the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act. Ignoring the nonsensicalness of allowing the peoples who have always lived here to become “legal” citizens of the government we made up, this is another complicated “victory.” Now Indigenous peoples have the opportunity to make their voices heard in the electoral process! This paved the way for the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. However, centuries of disenfranchisement continue to leave the First Peoples too poor to buy back the land that was stolen from them.
In 1943, the Chinese Exclusion Act ends, ending 60 years of immigration blocks. This now allows Chinese-Americans to vote! Once again, very bizarre choice to take advantage of people’s labor and not allow them to vote, but this seems to be as American as apple pie.
On January 23rd, 1964, Poll Taxes are banned and the Grandfather Clause becomes null and void. Poll taxes were one of the largest impediments to voting for impoverished citizens. The Grandfather Clause allowed the poll tax to be waived for citizens whose grandfathers voted in previous elections. Read: white people could still vote for free, since everyone else spent the last 70 years simply fighting for their right to vote. The passage of this bill did little to increase the voting population since Black-Americans continued to be intimidated by racist poll watchers and were still required to pass literacy tests.
On August 6th, 1965, The Voting Rights Act is passed. The real turning point in expanding voting rights came after the massacre on Bloody Sunday at the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 7, 1965. This is when Martin Luther King Jr., future Georgia representative John Lewis, and hundreds of other American citizens were brutalized by police for marching to alert the country about the difficulty so many people of color still faced in an effort to vote. President Lyndon Johnson signed this measure outlawing the remaining predatory voting restrictions and ensuring that all future voting laws must be approved by the Supreme Court.
On July 1st, 1971, the voting age is lowered from 21-years-old in order to vote, to 18-years-old in order to vote. This is in response to a growing youth movement and the massive outrage at the number of young men dying in Vietnam. At 18-years-old you were old enough to serve for your country, but you weren’t old enough to have a say in your representative government. Sounds right to me.
On August 6, 1975, voting materials are made for non-English speakers to be able to vote. This is a massive stride to dignify non-English-speaking/reading American citizens as people who deserve to have a say in their democracy.
On June 29th, 1982, Ronald Reagan is the first president to sign an extension of the Voting Rights Act, starting a tradition that will carry on for the next 40 years.
On June 25th, 2013, after nearly 200 years of expanding voting rights to more and more Americans, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 that the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. This signals the beginning of an insidious trend to strip back many Americans voting rights by closing poll stations, instating new barriers to voting (such as Voter ID laws), and making voting less accessible to those who lack free time to stand in long lines or lack access to a vehicle. Read: keeping impoverished people out of the polls once again.
How to register to vote
you have options!
DMV: Do you need to get your real ID, and haven’t registered to vote yet? Do it all in one place! Every state offers voter registration at the DMV. As of December 2020, 20 states and the District of Columbia offer automatic voter registration. If you are an eligible voter, once you complete an online or in person transaction (like applying for a drivers license or updating your address) you will automatically be registered to vote unless opted out. If you are already registered to vote, your existing registration information will be updated.
Online: It doesn’t get any easier than this! Unless you’re in North Dakota where you don’t need to register to vote. Currently, only 40 states offer online registration while nine states —Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas, Mississippi, Maine and New Hampshire — do not offer online voter registration. Texas and Oklahoma provide an online application but it must be submitted by mail or in person. Find your state’s registration instructions HERE.
Mail in: Do you regularly have stamps on hand? The voter registration form is available to download in 21 languages and includes state specific instructions and deadlines. While you do need stamps to mail in your voter registration, some states offer pre-paid postage for election ballots. In states where pre-paid postage isn’t offered, USPS will deliver your ballot even without the required stamps.
Register the date of election: Did you think you were registered to vote and found out you weren’t once you got to the polling place? Same day registration is available in 22 states. Though same day registration is offered in Montana and North Carolina, this only applies to the early voting period and not on election day.
Are you currently unhoused? You don’t need a permanent address to register to vote! All states allow shelters, parks and cross streets to be used as a physical address. If you don’t have a permanent mailing address, ask your local shelter if they can receive your mail, use a friend’s address, use a PO box or sign up for your local post office’s General Delivery service.
Not sure if your registration is up to date? Click HERE!
So I’m registered to vote, now what?
Make sure the information on your voter registration and ID match. Each state has their own requirements and you may have to show your ID at the polls. Here’s a guide for each state’s identification laws and where you can find your polling place.
What if I feel more comfortable voting in a different language?
You can still vote! The Voting Rights Act requires any county with more than 10,000 voting age residents whose native language is not English to provide non-English registration and voting instructions, assistance and ballots. Asian, American Indian, Alaska Native and Spanish languages are all protected under the act. Language determinations for each county are based on the most recent census data.
So you’re traveling on election day?
OR You’re not in the same place where you’re registered to vote? OR You don’t live in the same place that you grew up in, but you’re not planning on staying for long?
Ask for a mail-in ballot! Here are all of the mail-in ballot deadlines! Please make sure to read your ballot extra carefully! Young people’s ballots are tossed for minimal reasons including using the wrong color ink when filling out your ballot or signing in the wrong place or not at all. Let your voice be heard!
So you moved?
It’s time to register to vote in your new county, state, or territory! Cool! Scroll back up to learn how to register to vote in your area. Now you get to read up on your new representatives and make the choice that you think is best for yourself and your neighbors.
Are you in California and don’t know what propositions are on the ballot this year?
This year's ballot measures include reproductive rights, sports betting, music and arts funding for public school, tobacco bans and more. Read about each prop HERE.
Important deadlines (California)
Registration deadlines
You can register to vote through the mail, at the DMV, or online! You can register to vote for
In-person early voting by Nov 7
By mail (postmarked by): Oct 24 (California starts sending ballots to all active registered voters: Oct 10!)
*The registration dates have past for the 2022 midterm election, but it’s never too early to register to vote for the next election!
Voting deadlines
Early voting: varies by location, so make sure to check when your nearest polling station opens
Return ballot by mail (postmarked by): Nov 8
Return ballot in person: Nov 8 by 8:00 p.m.
So you’re still not convinced that voting is the right thing for you?
There’s many reasons people have chosen not to vote. Choosing between the lesser of two evils is not super appealing. There’s a chance the candidate you like won’t win. Voting still feels ineffective when the people who are making the majority of decisions are the ultra rich. All of these are true things, but voting is not just about putting people in power. Voting is one drop putting your faith into your representative and one gallon holding your representative accountable to do what they said they would do on the campaign trail! Your elector is only as good as the pressure you put on them.
Also, it’s not just about the people on the ballot, it’s about the local measures, too! Where do you want your tax dollars to go? What civic services need to be revitalized? You don’t have to vote for everything on the ballot in order to help decide where your money is going. You will still pay taxes, don’t you want to decide where the government puts those funds?
Of course there are alternatives to voting. Getting involved with a local non-profit organization is an extremely effective way to create change in your city. Or, you can take any issues that matter most to you into your own hands by hosting donation drives, talking to your neighbors and creating your own intra-neighborhood networks, or hosting Teach-Ins and skill-sharing sessions in accessible locations to arm your community with knowledge. You can also attend City Council meetings or make a one-on-one appointment with your representative to make your concerns known. These are just a few ideas, but I’m sure you can think of something else, too!
Ultimately, voting is still the most effective way to make your opinion heard. Centuries of people have fought and died for our rights to vote. As far as we’re concerned, it’s better to be able to vote than to have it taken away again.
Are you convinced now?
Incredible! Do you still feel underprepared to vote knowledgeably? Our friends made some voter guides that we like! You can use these guides to help inform your decision making process. Or you can read through every candidates’ political history and commitments to your community. That’s cool too.
As a non-profit, Junior High cannot make any recommendations for any candidates, but we have found some voter guides for the LA County election we think will be helpful for you!
SOURCES AND ADDITIONAL READING
Voting Rights: A Short History from Carnegie Corporation of New York
Voting Rights Milestones in America: A Timeline by Lesley Kennedy
Voting Rights Throughout United States History from National Geographic
Same Day Voter Registration from National Conference of State Legislatures
How to Vote from howto.vote
Provisional Voting from California Secretary of State
Provisional Ballots from MIT Election Data and Science Lab
Multilingual Services Program from the Los Angeles County Service Registrar and County Clerk
𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝒞𝓁𝒶𝓈𝓈 𝒩𝑜𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝓉𝑜𝓅𝒾𝒸𝓈, 𝒸𝓁𝒾𝒸𝓀 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒.