Tuesday...
Tuesday is the day when we do our civic duty and vote for the next President of the United States. I am going to attempt to bring some history to light and will not be posting with the intent of swaying anyone one way or the other. That said....
In 1607, Edward Wingfield was chosen from an offering of seven men chosen in England. The other six men were to be Council for that first Colony. So in reality, America's first President was Edward Wingfield. It was during the ensuing years and up to the early 1700's that it was determined that for the most part only white men who held property of a certain value or land were eligible to vote. Women, "Negros", and Native Americans as well as non-land owners were prohibited from casting a vote. There were rare exceptions to that rule...women who had "come into their own", free black men and some Native Americans were allowed the vote, but those were definite exceptions to all of the rules. Until the Revolution, Colonists did not elect their own Governors, the English King appointed them with the exception of Rhode Island and Connecticut who actually would cast votes for their Governors. They were, however able to cast votes for their Legislators who were responsible for the taxes and had very little say in law making.
Some Colonies such as North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Delaware employed ballots for voting. The Colony of Virginia, however, used voice ballots, which made counts harder to rig and in the presence of friends, family and neighbors left no doubt as to the voter's intentions.
Between the years of 1776 and 1850, most voting requirements, i.e., property ownership had waned and were removed....by the end of the 1850's most economic barriers to voting were gone, in 1870 the 15th Amendment was passed giving voting rights to men regardless of race or ethnic background.
Fast forward into the 20th Century. Because the Constitution as it was written was hoped to clarify, unify and expand voting rights nationally, it seemed to have fallen far short of it's intended purpose regarding voter's rights. Even with the economic barrier of land ownership, age, gender, or ethnicity (with the exception of the African Americans and women) removed, there were still issues to iron out. Because the suffrage issue was not addressed as broadly as it should have been, it was a focal point for civil rights and women's rights movements.
In 1920, the Suffrage movement gave birth to the 19th Amendment and the ability of women 21 and older to cast their votes. In 1964, the 24th Amendment was passed prohibiting poll taxes and in 1965, the Voters Rights Acts Amendment gave the Federal Government the ability to take over registration of voters Nation wide and enabled the reinforcement of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. In 1971 the voting age was lowered to 18 and in 1982, the Voters Rights Act was expanded to include those with special needs, illiterate or who weren't fluent in English the ability to vote.
Now that I've crammed a history lesson in your brain, here's some more to munch on: Just when you think that your vote doesn't count...
The power of just one vote
1776: One vote gave America the English language instead of German.
1868: One vote saved Andrew Jackson from impeachment.
1876: One vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the Presidency of the United States of America.
1923: One vote gave Adolf Hitler the leadership of the Nazi Party.
1941: One vote saved the Selective Service, just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.
1990: One vote decided a State House race in Oakland County, Michigan.
We know that the Electoral College has pretty much final say as to who wins the election.The Supreme Court, however, has held that the Constitution does not require that Electors be completely free to act as they choose and therefore, political parties may extract pledges from electors to vote for the parties' nominees. By the same token there are some States that fine "faithless voters", those Electorates who choose a candidate on their own rather than applying the popular vote.
Just so that you can check my facts, I'll post some of the links that I used so that you can read them for yourself. Regardless of who you choose to represent the United States on Tuesday, please exercise the right that you have been given by the Constitution. You may vote straight party, mixed party, Tea Party or Green Party, but whatever party you vote make sure you are well informed and not just picking to say that you voted. This is an important part of your life and the lives of those who are unable to vote and generations after them. Let's give the US something to be proud of and show up and vote. Let's have the highest voter turn out ever recorded in our history. Let's vote.
Have a blessed week!
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/electors.html#restrictions
http://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/hancock/pol204/history.htm
http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/spring07/elections.cfm
In 1607, Edward Wingfield was chosen from an offering of seven men chosen in England. The other six men were to be Council for that first Colony. So in reality, America's first President was Edward Wingfield. It was during the ensuing years and up to the early 1700's that it was determined that for the most part only white men who held property of a certain value or land were eligible to vote. Women, "Negros", and Native Americans as well as non-land owners were prohibited from casting a vote. There were rare exceptions to that rule...women who had "come into their own", free black men and some Native Americans were allowed the vote, but those were definite exceptions to all of the rules. Until the Revolution, Colonists did not elect their own Governors, the English King appointed them with the exception of Rhode Island and Connecticut who actually would cast votes for their Governors. They were, however able to cast votes for their Legislators who were responsible for the taxes and had very little say in law making.
Some Colonies such as North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Delaware employed ballots for voting. The Colony of Virginia, however, used voice ballots, which made counts harder to rig and in the presence of friends, family and neighbors left no doubt as to the voter's intentions.
Between the years of 1776 and 1850, most voting requirements, i.e., property ownership had waned and were removed....by the end of the 1850's most economic barriers to voting were gone, in 1870 the 15th Amendment was passed giving voting rights to men regardless of race or ethnic background.
Fast forward into the 20th Century. Because the Constitution as it was written was hoped to clarify, unify and expand voting rights nationally, it seemed to have fallen far short of it's intended purpose regarding voter's rights. Even with the economic barrier of land ownership, age, gender, or ethnicity (with the exception of the African Americans and women) removed, there were still issues to iron out. Because the suffrage issue was not addressed as broadly as it should have been, it was a focal point for civil rights and women's rights movements.
In 1920, the Suffrage movement gave birth to the 19th Amendment and the ability of women 21 and older to cast their votes. In 1964, the 24th Amendment was passed prohibiting poll taxes and in 1965, the Voters Rights Acts Amendment gave the Federal Government the ability to take over registration of voters Nation wide and enabled the reinforcement of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. In 1971 the voting age was lowered to 18 and in 1982, the Voters Rights Act was expanded to include those with special needs, illiterate or who weren't fluent in English the ability to vote.
Now that I've crammed a history lesson in your brain, here's some more to munch on: Just when you think that your vote doesn't count...
The power of just one vote
1776: One vote gave America the English language instead of German.
1868: One vote saved Andrew Jackson from impeachment.
1876: One vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the Presidency of the United States of America.
1923: One vote gave Adolf Hitler the leadership of the Nazi Party.
1941: One vote saved the Selective Service, just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.
1990: One vote decided a State House race in Oakland County, Michigan.
We know that the Electoral College has pretty much final say as to who wins the election.The Supreme Court, however, has held that the Constitution does not require that Electors be completely free to act as they choose and therefore, political parties may extract pledges from electors to vote for the parties' nominees. By the same token there are some States that fine "faithless voters", those Electorates who choose a candidate on their own rather than applying the popular vote.
Just so that you can check my facts, I'll post some of the links that I used so that you can read them for yourself. Regardless of who you choose to represent the United States on Tuesday, please exercise the right that you have been given by the Constitution. You may vote straight party, mixed party, Tea Party or Green Party, but whatever party you vote make sure you are well informed and not just picking to say that you voted. This is an important part of your life and the lives of those who are unable to vote and generations after them. Let's give the US something to be proud of and show up and vote. Let's have the highest voter turn out ever recorded in our history. Let's vote.
Have a blessed week!
http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/electors.html#restrictions
http://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/hancock/pol204/history.htm
http://www.history.org/foundation/journal/spring07/elections.cfm
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