The Right to Vote and Election 2000

Abstract

In the context of the 2000 US presidential election, it is noted that the right to vote is not fundamentally guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The history of voting rights is both complex & surprising, & a careful study of this history reveals factors that may come as a surprise to many Americans. (1) The Founding Fathers did not include a federal standard that ensured the right to vote in the Constitution. Instead, state law dictated suffrage. (2) Suffrage was not nationalized until the early 1970s, much later than most people believe. (3) Those serving prison terms are disenfranchised in 47 states, an important consideration in close elections. This road to voting rights helped pave the way for the election of 2000, a race in which the issue of ethnicity & campaign finance played an important role not only in FL but throughout the nation. In looking back on the election, it is apparent that reforms are needed. Disenfranchisement practices continue, while the wealthy of both parties maintain a disproportionate hold on the US political system. Though necessary, significant reforms remain unlikely. K. A. Larsen