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A Voter in America

There is no single 'right to vote' clause in the original Constitution. Instead the right was built out over a century and a half, one amendment at a time, each closing a door that had been used to keep people from the ballot.

Descriptive, not legal advice · the founding documents' own words

The vote may not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

The vote may not be denied on account of sex.

The vote in federal elections may not be conditioned on paying a poll tax or any other tax.

The vote may not be denied to citizens eighteen years of age or older on account of age.

Equal protection, the ground on which many modern voting and redistricting cases are decided.

The honest caveatRegistration, districting, and the mechanics of elections are largely set by state law within these constitutional limits. This page lists the constitutional guarantees, not any state election code.
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