Voting

Part 1

Universal Voting Requirement

Criteria including citizenship, age, and residence, necessary for voting eligibility.

Registration

Procedure of voter identification intended to prevent fraudulent voting; considered an institutional barrier.

Stages of Suffrage

The progression of voting rights, expanding from all white men over 21 to individuals over 18 and not convicted felons.

Jim Crow Laws

Laws enacted by southern states that discriminated against black people.

Gerrymandering

The practice of drawing electoral district lines to limit voting strength of a particular group or party.

Civil Rights Act of 1957

Established the US Civil Rights Commission to handle claims of voter discrimination.

Civil Rights Act of 1960

Established voter referees to serve where voter discrimination was found.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Ended discrimination in jobs, literacy requirements, and voter registration.

Injunction

A court order that forces or restrains an individual from acting in a specific way.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Legislation that made voter discrimination illegal in all elections and strengthened protections for voters.

Preclearance

Requirement that any new election laws must be approved by the Federal government, specifically the Department of Justice.