This guide has information about registering to vote, checking your voter registration in Missouri, the history of voting rights, guides for first time voters and more. Learn about the history of elections and voting from the Federal Depository Library folks at the Government Publishing Office, read about our celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, and listen to librarians talk about how to be a media smart voter. And, don't forget, the Census determines congressional representation and electoral college votes for the next ten years, so check out that guide and make sure you and your friends and family complete Census 2020. Photo Credit: Cyrus-Crossan, Unsplash
U.S. election laws date back to Article 1 of the Constitution. This gave states the responsibility of overseeing federal elections. Many Constitutional amendments and federal laws to protect voting rights have been passed since then.
The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote in 1870. But many weren't able to exercise this right. Some states used literacy tests and other barriers to make it harder to vote.
The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, gave American women the right to vote.
The 24th Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxes. The tax had been used in some states to keep African Americans from voting in federal elections.
The 26th Amendment, ratified in 1971, lowered the voting age for all elections to 18.
The Missouri Secretary of State's Elections and Voting site has information about voting, including absentee voting, mail-in voting, what to take with you when you go vote, how to find your voting place, and more.
Additional books are available in our collection or by ordering through MOBIUS.
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