S21 E17: Data Points Deep Dive: The History and Importance of Voting
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hi friends, it's stiffy race. And today we're bring you a special data points, deep dive episode on the history and importance of voting in the united states. I want to give a special shout out to broken cycle team members, A, B, B, chesler, lilly row and back a high for working on this episode alongside me.

With the elections getting closer, it's natural to discuss the importance of voting and the history of IT in our country, but the reality for victims and survivors of crime is that the laws we create and the legislators we elect through the voting process are always relevant. Laws dictate what is criminally wrong and punni hable. And as citizens, we have the ability to propose that legislation and watch those laws be voted into action.

Citizens also elect many of the government officials who vote on those laws. IT is these pieces of legislation and elected legislators that control a survival sense of safety, protection and ultimately, their future. Exercising our right to vote is intrinsically intertwined with our potential to support crime victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

For example, some lawmakers have created legislation that abolishes parole, which deeply affects the victims journey and the way they may or may not have to continue to advocate for themselves. Another example is displayed in the devastating cuts to voca or victims of crime act. Voca covers the out of pocket costs that victims often face related to crimes like medical and dental care, counselling, crime scene cleanup or funerals and barriers.

In twenty twenty four, vocs stood to potentially lose over seven hundred million dollars of funding because of cutbacks made by elected leaders in congress. In other words, a survivors path is ultimately dictated by those involved in the criminal justice and legislative systems, and those systems are dictated by our laws. There are three types of elections that citizens take part in, primary, general and local elections.

There can also be special elections in which the voting process is used to fill a vacancy. In a presidential primary election, voters from specific political parties are casting baLance for whom they think will be the ideal candidate on the ballot in the next presidential election for the registered party. The statewide presidential primary is held in march of even number of years on the first tuesday.

After the first monday, statewide primary elections offer voters a chance to select candidates at the state level, general elections are held in a whole state in our elections that are not limited to voters in a particular party or specific locality. The purpose of a presidential general election is to make a final choice among the various candidates. The purpose of the statewide general election for state and congressional offices is for voters to make a final choice between the two candidates who received the most votes.

These choices for federal public officials are made by voting on the november ballot election day, as it's come to be known, is capital set by the U. S. Government as the tuesday after the first monday in november.

Statewide measures can also be placed on the november ballot. Despite the term election day being generally applied to the presidential general election that occurs every four years, there are several other opportunities that allow you to cast a ballot. Congressional actions occur every two years for the members of the U.

S. House of representatives and every six years for each class of senators. There are also early elections that occur locally and at the state level. IT is immensely important for those of us with the power to vote, to use our voice to make our choices known, especially in local and state actions. Officials elected to those positions will have the power to directly affect the way you live your life in your community.

Voter turnout, which is the term applied to the percentage of voters that submitted ballots compared to the number of eligible voters, can be incredibly varied. For example, according to pew research quote, the elections of twenty eighteen, twenty twenty and twenty twenty two were three of the highest turnout U. S.

Elections of their respective types in decades, about two thirds or sixty six percent of the voting eligible population turned out for the twenty twenty presidential election the highest rate for any national election since nineteen hundred. The twenty eighteen election, with forty nine percent turnout had the highest rate for a mid term since one thousand fourteen. Even the twenty twenty two elections turn out with a slightly lower rate of forty six percent, exceeded that of all mid term elections since eighteen seventy.

And quote, voter turnout tends to be intervened depending upon social and political advance. As pew research points out, the turnout of intervention voters often defined the outcome of an election, and although voting has always been important, especially to crime victims, we haven't always been allowed the power and ability to exercise our vote. In fact, the american government has historically restricted and or abolished the power to vote for large groups of marginalized people. Voting suppression, which dates back to the beginning of american history, makes IT even more necessary to educate ourselves and take advantage of our voting power. Voting suppression is any action that's done with the purpose of reducing voting or registering to vote for members of a targeted racial community, political party, age range, religious group or other marginalized community, according to tanaka, the most frequent victims of voter suppression in amErica having members of the african american community, but in order to truly understand the depth with which many communities have had to fight to establish their voting rights, we have to go back to the beginning.

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When amErica was founded in seven hundred and seventy six, the country was in a very unique position. Up until then, most organized governments were LED by a monarch or someone who generally gain their position through birth. In their attempt to gain political freedom, america's founding fathers developed a voting process rooted in democracy, which is a type of government largely run by elected officials.

However, the U. S. Constitution, which was first upheld in seven eighty nine, didn't define specific voting rights. Instead, he proposed that each state be given the power to regulate their own as part of the constitution.

The founding fathers also established the electoral college, which was originally proposed to offer a compromise in the election of the president by a vote between congress and the popular vote of qualified citizens within the electoral college, each state receives a certain number of electors based on the size of the state's population. The state's electors would then cast two votes for president. The candidate who gained the most electoral votes became president, and the runner up became vice president.

Traditionally, the electoral college members cast their vote for the candidate who received the popular vote in their state. However, there is no law that states that electors must offer their vote to the popularity voted canada in their state. As a result, those that oppose the electoral college often draw attention to the fact that the system seemingly distracts from our individual voting power.

Lesser known is that the electoral college has racist origins. At the time of the establishment of the electoral college, the populations in the northern and south were approximately ten equal. However, about one third of those living in the south were forced to be enslaved.

The southern region would have less power in a popular vote system because such a large portion of the population was unable to vote. The ultimate solution was an indirect method of choosing the president or the development of the electoral college, with about ninety three percent of the countries in slaved persons in just five southern states, that region was the undoubted beneficiary of the compromise. And the electoral colleges routes in bigotry drew opposition when I was created.

And IT surely continues to draw opposition to this day, not long after the electoral college's inception. The first presidential election occurred in seventeen eighty nine. In that election, voting rights were granted to White male landowner over the age of twenty one, except in new jersey, where women who were property owners were also allowed to vote.

New jersey representatives specifically added language in their voting clause to include land owner as eligible voters, which was revolutionary at the time. In most states, catholic jews and quakers were barred from voting, whether they were White, male, landowner or not. Then in seventy ninety, the naturalization law was passed in order to define what U.

S. Citizenship could include, and in turn, which White male landowner were allowed to vote. The law stated that, quote, only White immigrants who had lived in the united states for at least two years and were of good character were eligible for citizenship.

And quote, over the next couple hundred years, americans would continue to debate over the voting standards, or if the law should be loosened. In seventeen ninety two, new hampshire was officially the first date to remove the land ownership requirement for voting. At that time, new jersey was still the only state in the country that allowed women to vote shortly thereafter, the twelve amendment was proposed as a result of the eighteen hundred election tie between Thomas jefferson and air and burr.

Then in eight o four, the year arber would kill Alexander hamilton in a duel, the twelve amendment was ratified. The twelve amendment changed the voting landscape forever. Instead of casting two ballots for president, electoral college members now distinctly cast one vote for president and one vote for a vice president, which remains to be the case today.

Then in november eighty nine seven, the new jersey state legislature strip the vote from women, people of color and recent immigrants because of, quote, regional controversies within the state over slavery, voter intimidation at the polls, fear of foreign influence and a backlash against women's political games and quote, and despite the ongoing late seventeen hundreds and early eighteen hundreds argument over whether women and people of marginalized communities should be allowed to vote, legislators would now come to agree that land ownership should not be a requirement for voting. Making White men over the age of twenty one, the only eligible voters in america, over the spain of sixty four years, the rest of the states would model new hampton res seventy ninety two decision and abolish the land ownership requirement, with the last state being north CarOlina. In eighteen fifty six, the early to mid eighteen hundreds in amErica began a time of growth and hope for many White citizens.

However, the reality for minority communities was much more restrictive. Although slavery had begun in amErica even prior to colonial times, the ID eighteen hundreds marked a period of heightened devastation and impact on african american communities. By that time, many major american industries relied deeply on slavery at the cost of millions of lives.

As a result, there was a great deal of civil unrest between the highly polar ized northern south, with slavery being at the forefront of their humAnitary arian based arguments. In eighteen fifty seven, a supreme court ruling in the red Scott case added to the polarization in the country. The ruling stated that congress could not prohibit slavery because the constitution protected the property rights of slaveholders.

Then in eighteen sixty one, american citizens elected republican Abraham lincoln as president, which LED to even more unrest. His political campaign success was assigned to the confederate south that they had lost some of their power. Ultimately, the civil war began on April twelfth eighteen sixty one, mere months after lincoln was elected.

Despite the country's unrest, president Abraham b. Lynne declared the immanence page proclaim tion. In eighteen six, three fring enslaved people held in confederate states as the national american museum of african american history and cultural states. The thirteenth amendment made the amani page federal policy was signed by president Abraham, linking on february first eighteen sixty five, and was ratified on december 11， sixty five. However, just two and a half months after signing the thirteen th amendment, president lincoln would be assassinated by a White, the premises who opposed his anti slavery reviews while attending the theater with his wife.

Lincoln's presidential successor was Andrew Johnson, a man whose lives were notoriously far more conservative than lincoln, although under his presidency, Johnson did retain the thirteen amendment, he did allow increasingly more and more, quote, black codes to regulate those who were now freed. Similar to precision l war regulation, northerners were outraged at the revived racism and began to call for radical reconstruction as a result of the political and social unrest in america. At this time, a group of vicious bigots created an underground coat that they would informingly dumb the clue clucks clan, on december twenty fourth, one thousand nine sixty five.

This way, the premises group, which would come to be known as the K, K, K, worked tirelessly to target, torment, terrorize and even slaughter civil and voting rights workers all over the country. However, human rights activists continued to fight to be heard. Eventually, the fourth amendment, which offered citizenship to everyone born or naturalized in america, including former enslaved persons, was passed by congress on june thirteen th, eighteen sixty six and ratified on july eighth eighteen sixty eight.

Then under you, this is as grants presidency, congress passed the amendment. The fifth amendment guarantee the right to vote of all men regardless of race, color and prior servitude status. In march of eighteen seventy, Thomas monday Peterson became the first african american to vote in a local election.

June team has become the most well known celebration for the ending of slavery in the united states, and viewed by some as america's second independence day dating back to eighteen sixty five. June tenth commemorates the day when two hundred and fifty thousand and slaved people were freed in the state of texas and during the final days of the civil war, were declared free by the U. S.

army. As soon as the following year, local festivities were organized in african american communities to celebrate and remember the significance of that day. Je, however, the enactment of these policies did not mean that election officials welcomed nonWhite voters warmly at places.

Instead, because of pervasive racism, states began to enacting policies in order to to further restrict marginalized community members right to vote, such as bias voting, taxes and literacy tests. Discriminatory or actions like voter suppression and voter intimidation continued to be on the rise. Growing unrest in the voting landscape and the feminist movement inspired suzy Anthony to vote in the presidential election of eighteen seventy two.

Two years later, Susan was arrested as a result shortly after so journal truth, who was an abolitionist, former enslaved person, and womens and voters rights activists also tried to cast a ballot in the eighteen seventy two election. He was also turned away as women were still not allowed to vote as communities continued to fight for the right to vote, the american government continued to tighten restrictions. In response, the limitations on voting continue to escalate.

And in one hundred and seventy six, native americans were deemed non citizens and saw what little voting rights they had taken away. In one hundred and eighty two, the chinese exclusion act was passed and prevented those with chinese heritage from becoming citizens, which kept them from voting. Two in eight and eighty seven, the doors act was passed, which granted citizenship to native americans if they abandoned their tribal affiliations.

Iommi had originally granted women the right to vote in eight hundred and seventy three when I was still a territory. However, the right to vote was not applicable to federal elections, only state and local elections. After voting advancement occurred in eighty ninety, the indian naturalization act was passed granting citizenship to native americans whose citizenship applications were approved.

As these changes were made and began to be upheld throughout the country, women continued to voice their desire to vote. States across the country began to allow women to vote at the state level until one thousand and twenty. Throughout that time, the suffer git movement expanded throughout america.

The suffer jets were a group of women who campaign for women's right to vote. Their creative actions and slogans snagged the attention of many citizens as they used models like deeds not words, and justice not favors. They successfully protested all over the country, with their first march taking place in nineteen eight in new york.

The sufficient movement had many opposers and faced much backlash. In fact, over a thousand women were arrested from the start of the twenty years century to the beginning of world war one, while trying to vote or while protesting for the right to vote. Women in prisons for these offences were often assaulted and brutalized during their imprisonment.

In notoriously, on november tenth, one thousand nine seventeen, thirty three suffer. Jets were arrested in, jailed for protesting outside of the White house. Hours later, they would be subjected to violent abuse and assaults at a north Virginia prison.

The suffrages would end up in titling their treatment on november fourteen, one thousand and seventeen as the night of terror word spread of their experiences, which, according to the washington post, helped gardenias public support of the severity movement. Finally, in nineteen nineteen, twenty, only about one hundred years ago from today, and about one hundred and forty years after amErica was founded, women were granted the right to vote, with the sixth amended. However, these rights remained primarily reserved for White women.

American history repeated itself and is one faction of citizens gained access to voting and the powers related to IT. Another group was further marginalized. World war one had taken place and left a large impact on the world. As a result of this war, there was heightened racism towards japanese americans.

The supreme court ruled that people of japanese heritage were in eligible to become naturalized citizens in one thousand twenty two, and in one nine hundred and twenty three, all americans of southeast asian and indian descent were banned from becoming naturalized citizens. Then in two thousand and twenty four, the citizenship act granted citizenship to native americans. In reaction to the act, many states began passing laws and policies prohibiting native americans from voting.

The restrictions continue to become even more pervasive in nineteen twenty twenty five, when citizens of the Philippines were barred from U. S. Citizenship unless they served three years in the U.

S. navy. The next year's american history were greatly impacted by the great depression and world war. Two black citizens faced the highest rate of unemployment in the nineteen thirties, heighten tension, remained a MIT and insecure, unstable time.

Then, when war became an unavoidable reality, minority communities were forced to be front line warriors for the us. While many male citizens were deployed to fight in world war two, women were finally allowed into the american workforce at much greater rates. With these new found opportunities and responsibility, ie.

S many marginalized communities demanded more freedom. Still, many years would pass, and many communities would continue to be massively unrepresented in the election process. Then in one thousand hundred and fifty two, the mercury walter act granted all people of asian ancestry the right to become citizens, effectively granting them the right to vote.

Nearly a decade later, in thousand nine hundred and sixty one, the twenty third amendment also passed, which granted residents of washington, D. C. The right to vote for U.

S. president. Despite being our country's capital, washington, D. C. Residents were not allowed to vote in presidential elections before then. The one hundred and sixty continue to be a turning point in american politics, and four are voting rights.

The civil rights movement was chAllenging america's institutional racist beliefs and policies, then the murderer of civil and voting rights activist James chai, Michael shore and Andrew goodmen in mississippi on june twenty of one thousand nine hundred sixty four demanded the attention of the federal government. A game of over twenty K, K, K, members killed the boys with the aid of a local deputy sheriff because of the Young men's local efforts to enable equal access to voting. And in one thousand nine hundred and sixty seven, according to the federal bureau of investigations, seven of the eighteen defendants would be found guilty, including deputy share of Price, but none on murder charges.

One major conspirator, eg. Ray killing, went free after a long er, couldn't bring himself to convict a baptist. Not long after the boy's murder, a six hundred person civil rights protest was terrorized by a group of White state troopers in Selma, alabama on march seven, nineteen sixty five. This day became known as bloody sunday.

And things are shaping up beautiful. We have people coming in from all over the country. I suspect that we will have representative from almost average state in the union and naturally, a large number of people from the state of alabama. And we hope to see, and we plan to see, the greatest witness for free dom have taken place that is ever taken place on the steps of the capital, eva state in the south.

In one thousand nine and six five, a group of Young people, students and others attempted across the in the Peters bridge and cell a alabama to march fifty miles from salma to mondamin y to dramatize to the nation, into the world that people want to simply to register to vote. And they came toward us, beating us with night stakes and more lips, train us with horses and releasing to take gears in the foot bridge. I was beaten.

I thought I was going to die. I thought I saw death. I felt like I was the last demonstration.

IT was the less a protest I on maple. Like I was gonna take my layers breath from from a tear gears. I saw people rolling.

Here are people's reaming and harland. We couldn't go forward. If we try to go forward, we would have going into the heat bew.

We could not go to the decide to the left, to the right. We would have been gone over to the alabama river. So we beaten, bite down the streets of salma back downtown to the Brown chair of A M.

E. church. I don't know to this day um how made IT back to the church. I do remember being in the church and making a statement to the crowd that assembled there. And I say something to affect that. I don't understand how president Johnson can send troops to vietnam, can send troops to the congo, or to send me me go, and cannot send troops to sell my alabama to protect black people who want to, right, to register, to vote, to participate in the .

democratic process.

The monday athletic sunday. And they were beaten in sell. My doctor came, came to my hospital bedside and say, john, don't worry, you should a call for religious leaders to come.

The events. Selma had been brought to a climax by a night time attack on a White cost of minister by White men. He died two days with president .

nina Johnson spoke to the nation.

So I ask you to join me in working long hours, nights and weekend, if necessary, to pass this bill. And I don't make that request lightly. Far from the wonder what I said with the problems of our country, I recognize that from outside this chAmber is the outraged conscience of a nation, the grave concern of many nation and the harsh judgment of history on our acts.

But even if we pass this bill, the battle will not be open. What happened in cinema is part of a far larger movement, which reaches into every section and state of america. IT is the effort of american negro to secure for themselves the full blessings of american life. Their cause must be our calls, too. Because it's not just negro, but really it's all of us who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice and we shall overcome.

The public reaction to the increasing violence in alabama, mississippi and across the country, as well as Johnson's initiative, spurred congress to pass the eighteen sixty five voting rights act. The act forbid states from imposing discriminatory restrictions on hook and vote.

This was the first time in history that many marginalized communities had been granted the right to vote, and as a result of the x passing by the end of thousand nine hundred and sixty five, a quarter of a million new black voters had been registered. By the end of one thousand and sixty six, only four out of thirteen southern n states had fewer than fifty percent of african americans registered to vote, although hurdles remain for citizens of minority communities. As a result of systemic racism and continued voter suppression, voting rights shifted drastically and pave the way from meaningful changes to be made.

Just six years later, in thousand nine hundred and seventy two, the voting age was lowered to the age of eighteen, allowing even more accessibility. And in one thousand nine hundred and seventy five, voting became even more inclusive. IT was the first year voting materials were translated into other languages besides english.

In other words, IT took some communities in amErica nearly two hundred years to be heard in the political landscape via the voting process. And although it's a right every citizen in this country should posses, it's still an impact for power that continues to be threatened. Voter suppression is something that has been occurring since the beginning of american history, and IT continues to this day.

In fact, according to the brennan center for justice, twenty to twenty one was a banner year for new barriers to the right to vote. Nineteen states enacted thirty four laws restricting access to voting, far and away the most in any year. In at least the past decade, the information laws attempted to control access to voting via such methods as creating obstacles for voting by mail, establishing new voter I D requirements and setting limitations on what election officials can do to help promote voter access.

Some of the laws were racist in nature, taking targeted action to restrict methods of voting that had been especially utilized by in american communities. Voter suppression can also be more cover in nature a lack of accessible polling places or limited polling times are also methods of suppression. Similarly, the federal government has also criminalized voter intimidation.

According to the A, C, L U, voter intimidation is when someone is intimidated, threatened, or covers by another person for the purpose of interfering with the right of that person to vote or votes they may choose. Many states also have their own laws prohibiting voter intimidation. Voter intimidation may include questioning voters about their citizenship or criminal record with the intention to interfere with their ability to vote, falsely presenting yourself as a polling place or election official, or other harassment, particularly towards non english speakers and voters of color.

Voter suppression and intimidation can occur anytime, anywhere, but is generally targeted towards minority communities and happens in a polling or voter registration setting. And as voting happens frequently throughout different times of the year, it's important to educate ourselves on when and where you can happen most. Voter fraud is another type of election crime that has recently been given a lot of attention.

Voter fraud is the intentional duplication and or falsification of votes. Voter fraud d can include knowingly casting more than one ballot in the same election or voting using someone else's identity. And despite consistent allegations of voter fraud occurring in the last few elections, according to the brand in center for justice, voter fraud and voter impersonation is extremely rare.

The centre states that most instances of alleged fraud are mistakes by voters, administrators or are a result of election misconduct. Quote, the brennan center seminal report demonstrated that most because of fraud, turn out to be baseless. Numerous other studies, including one commissioned by the trump administration, have reached the same conclusion.

And quote, if you or someone you know believe you may have been a witness or a victim of voter intimidation, suppression or fraud, you can report IT to the election protection hot line at one eight, six, six hour vote. You can also report IT to the U. S.

Department of justice voting rights at eight hundred two, five, three, three, nine, three, one, or your local and state officials, including poll workers, elections commissioner's and elections supervisors, american citizens, right? To exercise our vote is a privilege that nearly took two hundred years to fight for. Therefore, we should not take IT for granted. It's also important for us to become allies for those who may be experiencing voter suppression or intimidation, ways that you can help include bringing awareness, encouraging voter registration and voter turnout, sharing election information or volunteer ring your time to register voters, or even working at a polling place. The united state's election assistance commission on link is included in the episode notes.

In the event that you'd like to volunteer to be a poor worker, other non profit organizations are making an effort in the voting landscape, vote dot org is a great resource that offers ways to register to vote, check your registration, vote by mail, see what's on your ballot, get election reminders, and find volunteer opportunities. The national association of social workers is also making efforts to increase voter participation. We've created several successful collaborations with organizations such as rock the vote, vote lao and nonprofit vote, whose purpose is also to help other non profit organizations engage the people they serve in elections.

The N A S W has also partnering with the national voting rights task force, whose mission is to offer tangible steps to ensure voters in your community have access to vote for a more comprehensive list of organizations that are working to help increase voter accessibility and decrease voter suppression, please visit something was wrong dot com slash resources. Many of the amazing groups listed on the website are only able to exist because of the community is help and support from people like you. If you would like to find out more information about volunteer opportunities, please feel free to visit the resources page and reach out directly to the organization of your choice. I'm Tiffany race. Thank you so much for listening and learning with us.

If you like something was wrong, you can listen early and ad free right now by joining wunder plus in the wonderful APP or on apple podcast, prime members can listen, add free on amazon music before you go tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondering dot com flash survey.