Voting Methods in the U.S.A
Wondering How, Where, and When to Vote?
Different states have different requirements for voters, but the most common voting methods include:
Voting In-Person on Election Day
Voting by Mail - "Absentee Ballot"
No matter how you choose to practice your fundamental right to vote, it is important that you be an Informed Voter.
Be aware of misinformation and acts of Voter Suppression. Explore the library's resources to learn more:
Voter Suppression
Despite the laws passed throughout U.S. election history to protect citizens' right to vote...
Voter Suppression remains a prominent issue in today's society.
- It causes significant disruptions in people's efforts to register and exercise their right to vote.
- These tactics typically affect people of color, low income communities, the elderly, and the disabled the most.
- Examples of voter suppression include: Closure of polling places, strict id requirements, voter intimidation, etc.
Explore the library's resources in the next tabs to learn more about Voter Suppression...
Ballot Blocked by
Voting rights are a perennial topic in American politics. Recent elections and the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down key enforcement provisions in the Voting Rights Act (VRA), have only placed further emphasis on the debate over voter disenfranchaisement. Over the past five decades, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have consistently voted to expand the protections offered to vulnerable voters by the Voting Rights Act. And yet, the administration of the VRA has become more fragmented and judicial interpretation of its terms has become much less generous. Why have Republicans consistently adopted administrative and judicial decisions that undermine legislation they repeatedly endorse? Ballot Blocked shows how the divergent trajectories of legislation, administration, and judicial interpretation in voting rights policymaking derive largely from efforts by conservative politicians to narrow the scope of federal enforcement while at the same time preserving their public reputations as supporters of racial equality and minority voting rights. Jesse H. Rhodes argues that conservatives adopt a paradoxical strategy in which they acquiesce to expansive voting rights protections in Congress (where decisions are visible and easily traceable) while simultaneously narrowing the scope of federal enforcement via administrative and judicial maneuvers (which are less visible and harder to trace). Over time, the repeated execution of this strategy has enabled a conservative Supreme Court to exercise preponderant influence over the scope of federal enforcement.
ISBN: 1503603512Publication Date: 2017-09-12
Opinions Throughout History by
This new series from Grey House offers in-depth, single volumes that follow the debate, or path, to a decision on a controversial topic as it evolved throughout history. Each volume offers a wide range of opinion essays and editorials, speeches, and journal articles and expert analysis.
ISBN: 1642650684Publication Date: 2019-10-01
When the Letter Betrays the Spirit by
When the Letter Betrays the Spirit examines the wide latitude provided to the executive branch and to the Supreme Court by the text of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Drawing from government enforcement data, legislative history, Supreme Court rulings, the 2006 reauthorization debate on the VRA, and from the 2007 scandal involving the firing of U.S. attorneys under the Bush Administration, the book examines when, why, and how executive and judicial discretion facilitates violation of voting rights. Connecting Johnson to Obama, the book outlines why the executive-centered model of voting rights enforcement relegates Congress to the sidelines, and outlines why a Congress-centered approach provides the best protection against the effects of the law enforcement axiom: the law is neither self-executing nor self-interpreting. The book also examines 2008 survey results about public support for a Jim Crow-era election reform policy that would require voters to read a passage of the Constitution. Describing the civic literacy dimensions of voting rights law from Shaw v. Reno (1993) to Northwest Austin Utility v. Holder (2009), the book highlights the complicated nature of the post-racial rhetoric surrounding the 2008 election cycle and surrounding the upcoming post-2010 census redistricting cycles.
ISBN: 9780739149140Publication Date: 2011-09-16
Latinos and the Voting Rights ACT by
This volume explores the role race and racism played in the Texas redistricting process and the creation and passage of the state's Voter Identification Law in 2011. The author puts forth research techniques designed to uncover racism and racist intentions even in the face of denials by the public policy decision makers involved. In addition to reviewing the redistricting history of the state, this book also provides an analysis of court decisions concerning the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution, the Voting Rights Act, and a thorough discussion of the Shelby County decision. The author brings together scholarly research and the analysis of significant Supreme Court decisions focusing on race to discuss Texas' election policy process. The core of the book centers on two federal court trials where both the state's congressional, house redistricting efforts, and the Voter ID Bill were found to violate the Voting Rights Act. This is the first book that speaks specifically to the effects of electoral politics and Latinos. The author develops new ground in racial political studies calling for movement beyond the 'dual-race' theoretical models that have been used by both the academy and the courts in looking at the effects of race on the public policy process. The author concludes that the historically tense race relations between Anglos and Latinos in Texas unavoidably affected both the redistricting process and the creation and design of the Voter ID Bill.
ISBN: 9780739190463Publication Date: 2015-03-01
Language Assistance under the Voting Rights ACT by
Language Assistance under the Voting Rights Act provides an interesting and unique approach to the problem of translating minority language ballots and evaluating the causes and effects of differences in the translated ballot language. As a whole, this book demonstrates the strong relationship between accessibility, state policy, and the role this has on participation among minority language voters, particularly in the area of direct democracy. This offers insight into the complex relationship that has evolved into the current state of governance across the United States, as well as how covered jurisdictions interact with federally mandated language assistance. By looking at this relationship from a variety of standpoints--including historical and policy analysis, interviews, and statistical analysis--this book shows a new perspective of the translation process and the implications for minority voters and their efficacy.
ISBN: 9780739198100Publication Date: 2015-10-15
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Image References:
Element5 Digital (Creator). (2018). I Voted Stickers [Photograph], Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/ls8Kc0P9hAA
annie bolin (Photographer). (2018). Register Early to Vote Sign [Photograph], Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/L2dMboUwyMg
Richter, F. (August 6, 2020). The Current State(s) of Mail-In Voting [Digital image]. Retrieved from https://www-statista-com.jwupvdz.idm.oclc.org/chart/22494/mail-in-voting-ruley-by-state/
