Right to Vote

One of the most important "fundamental rights," the ability to vote freely lies at the heart of civil liberties in the United States. On the eve of the American Revolution, most of the colonies based suffrage on wealth, just as England did. Congress amended the Voting Rights Act in 1970 to include an extension of the franchise to eighteen-year-olds in all elections. The passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 resulted in a large increase in the number of blacks registered to vote. The National Voter Registration Act of 1993 also advanced the right to vote by requiring states to make voter registration available through public benefits, motor vehicle, and driver licensing offices. The right to vote is widely available in the United States. An estimated 3.9 million Americans, or one in fifty adults, currently have no voting rights as a result of a felony conviction.