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Around the early 1800s, with the expansion of the two democratic parties, white male suffrage became more popular. With the dissipation of taxpaying, militia, and property-owning qualifications, all but 3 states allowed for total white man suffrage by 1840. Poor men's right to vote was protected because they were still able to hold this right regardless of their economic status or their participation in the military.
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In 1870, the 15th Amendment was passed, stating that the right to vote could not be taken from a US citizen based on race, color, or previous servitude. This meant that voting rights were extended to all racial minorities, mainly African Americans. This protected their right because they could not be prohibited from voting based on the color of their skin or whether they were a slave.
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In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed making it illegal to deny someone the right to vote based on sex. Since men of all races already obtained suffrage, this amendment gave women the right to vote. It protected their right because they could not be denied the right to vote solely because they were women.
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In 1924, Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act stating that all non-citizen Native Americans born in the US would now be classified as citizens. This would then inherently give them the right to vote, although states governed this right and many denied them this right. However, voting rights were protected by the Natives because they would now be recognized as citizens and could not be discriminated against because of their heritage.
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In 1952, during the Cold War, Pat McCarran and Francis Walter sponsored this act that ended blanket exclusion mainly for Asian-Americans and updated immigration laws. For the US to look democratic and like "Good Americans" for the world, we accepted more members into society and recognized them as citizens. This protected the voting rights of mainly Asia-Americans because they could not be discriminated against when it came to voting because of their ethnicity.
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In 1961, the 23rd amendment was ratified, establishing that citizens of Washington, D.C. could now vote. The right to vote was now extended to those living in DC because it was not recognized as a state (and still isn't), thus not given the right to vote. However, voting rights were protected for these citizens because they are still citizens of the US and should be able to vote.
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In 1964, the 24th Amendment was ratified, making it illegal to deny one the right to vote based on poll tax or any other tax. This extended the right to vote mainly to those who were poor, thereby largely affecting minorities in poorer areas. This ensured that the wealthy were not the only ones voting. This protected the right to vote for poor people because they were now not able to be discriminated against because of their economic status.
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In 1965, President Johnson passed the Voting Rights Act that helped minorities gain full suffrage. Although the 15th Amendment gave black men the right to vote, until 1965, they faced many challenges such as poll tax, literacy tests, and other obstacles prohibiting them from voting in the South. Thus, the Voting Rights Act protected the right to vote for mainly black men by prohibiting the denial of their right to vote for any bureaucratic restrictions such as a literacy test.
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In 1971, the 26th Amendment was ratified allowing all citizens above 18 years old to vote. During the Vietnam War, the US was drafting people who were at least 18 years old, so it is only fair they should also be able to vote. In addition, due to the Cold War and the US needing to look like a "good democracy," we expanded who could vote. Therefore, the right to vote was extended to 18-year-olds and their right was protected because they could not be denied the right to vote based on age.
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In 1975, President Ford made amendments to the original Voting Rights Act. He extended its special provisions making it still have an effect while also expanding its reach to linguistic minorities. He made ballots come in different languages, and this extended suffrage to those who could not speak English well. This protected their right because they would no longer be denied the right to vote because they could not speak the language.
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In 1984, the Voting Accessibility for Elderly and Handicapped Act was passed to ensure that all voting locations were accommodating to those who could not easily access them. Suffrage was extended to those who were physically impaired in reaching or interacting with the ballot. This protects their right to vote by ensuring that they are not denied the right to vote because they are unable to get to or interact with the ballot box.