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Exercise the Right: Young People and Voting in the 21st Century
by Mary Zimmerle
With
voter turnout so low for this past November’s
elections, it is a good time to reflect with your
class upon the ideals set forth by the electoral
system of the United States. Remembering the
groups of people who had to struggle to gain their
right to vote and studying the voting systems of
other countries can help students put their own situation
into perspective. Learning about the importance
of participating in the vote can start at a very
young age. Instilling this sense of citizenship
into young minds can help the younger generations
of voters better understand how and why their vote
matters.
You can start by studying a topic such as women’s suffrage with your class. Women’s suffrage in the United States has a long and complicated history that can be traced back to the Revolution. For example, women in New Jersey from 1776 to 1807 were permitted to vote in elections. This circumstance was due to the wording of the state’s constitution, which stated that “all inhabitants” could vote. In 1807, this right was rescinded for both women and black men. It was not reinstated for black men until the 15th amendment was ratified in 1870 and for all women until the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920.
December 13, 1869 is also recognized by many historians as a date when the first state in America allowed women to vote. On this date, John A. Campbell, Wyoming’s first Territorial Governor, signed a bill allowing women to vote in all elections. Less than a year later, the state entered the Union, and on September 6, 1870, Louisa Ann Swain from Laramie, Wyoming, cast the state’s first legal ballot from a woman.
Since the 19th amendment did not exist until 1920, the women’s suffragists had a long way to go to gain their national right. Two years after Swain legally cast her vote in Wyoming, Susan B. Anthony and about 15 other women registered to vote and voted in the 1872 Presidential election to test the interpretation of the 14th amendment. Anthony was arrested and tried for illegally voting. She did not live to see the enactment of the 19th amendment, but was a key figure in the movement that encouraged it. For more information on Anthony, the 19th amendment and women’s suffrage in general, check out http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/suffrage/.
The women’s and black suffrage movements were intense times of struggle and change, in which those who were disenfranchised fought for the right to change that disenfranchisement. Unfortunately, we are now in a time where many citizens of the United States do not understand or comprehend the importance of the right to vote or just how unique that right is compared to the political systems in most of the world. Apathy, disillusionment and a sense that “my vote doesn’t matter” has contributed to this loss of votes, especially among young adults aged 18 to 25 years old. Only a century and a half ago, as briefly evidenced by the above examples, over half of the population could not vote in the United States, making it even more remarkable that all adults now have this right.
How then do we encourage young people who are not yet of voting age to learn about the election process, to understand the importance of exercising this right in national, state and local elections, and to participate in the process now and when they are finally of age. The non-partisan Project Vote Smart, at http://www.youngvoters.org/, attempts to tackle this problem in a smart and relevant manner, by collecting information about candidates “to stop the spin of political misinformation and declining political participation.”
Encourage your students to do some of their own investigative work on the issues and candidates in their area. While students learn about this aspect of elections, they can also begin to learn about voting districts and the different positions for which one can run. This may help to clear up some of the confusion that surrounds the voting process and that deters many people making an informed decision. Vote Smart can help your students begin to examine these topics: http://www.vote-smart.org/.
It is important that we begin to instill the value of voting and participating in the electoral process into students from elementary school through high school to prepare them to actively and comprehensively participate when they are of age. By rectifying the misunderstanding that voting is unnecessary or pointless, especially in the local and state arenas, students can learn to participate responsibly, making their vote and their voice more meaningful to the community.
You can start by studying a topic such as women’s suffrage with your class. Women’s suffrage in the United States has a long and complicated history that can be traced back to the Revolution. For example, women in New Jersey from 1776 to 1807 were permitted to vote in elections. This circumstance was due to the wording of the state’s constitution, which stated that “all inhabitants” could vote. In 1807, this right was rescinded for both women and black men. It was not reinstated for black men until the 15th amendment was ratified in 1870 and for all women until the 19th amendment was ratified in 1920.
December 13, 1869 is also recognized by many historians as a date when the first state in America allowed women to vote. On this date, John A. Campbell, Wyoming’s first Territorial Governor, signed a bill allowing women to vote in all elections. Less than a year later, the state entered the Union, and on September 6, 1870, Louisa Ann Swain from Laramie, Wyoming, cast the state’s first legal ballot from a woman.
Since the 19th amendment did not exist until 1920, the women’s suffragists had a long way to go to gain their national right. Two years after Swain legally cast her vote in Wyoming, Susan B. Anthony and about 15 other women registered to vote and voted in the 1872 Presidential election to test the interpretation of the 14th amendment. Anthony was arrested and tried for illegally voting. She did not live to see the enactment of the 19th amendment, but was a key figure in the movement that encouraged it. For more information on Anthony, the 19th amendment and women’s suffrage in general, check out http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/suffrage/.
The women’s and black suffrage movements were intense times of struggle and change, in which those who were disenfranchised fought for the right to change that disenfranchisement. Unfortunately, we are now in a time where many citizens of the United States do not understand or comprehend the importance of the right to vote or just how unique that right is compared to the political systems in most of the world. Apathy, disillusionment and a sense that “my vote doesn’t matter” has contributed to this loss of votes, especially among young adults aged 18 to 25 years old. Only a century and a half ago, as briefly evidenced by the above examples, over half of the population could not vote in the United States, making it even more remarkable that all adults now have this right.
How then do we encourage young people who are not yet of voting age to learn about the election process, to understand the importance of exercising this right in national, state and local elections, and to participate in the process now and when they are finally of age. The non-partisan Project Vote Smart, at http://www.youngvoters.org/, attempts to tackle this problem in a smart and relevant manner, by collecting information about candidates “to stop the spin of political misinformation and declining political participation.”
Encourage your students to do some of their own investigative work on the issues and candidates in their area. While students learn about this aspect of elections, they can also begin to learn about voting districts and the different positions for which one can run. This may help to clear up some of the confusion that surrounds the voting process and that deters many people making an informed decision. Vote Smart can help your students begin to examine these topics: http://www.vote-smart.org/.
It is important that we begin to instill the value of voting and participating in the electoral process into students from elementary school through high school to prepare them to actively and comprehensively participate when they are of age. By rectifying the misunderstanding that voting is unnecessary or pointless, especially in the local and state arenas, students can learn to participate responsibly, making their vote and their voice more meaningful to the community.
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