The Right to Vote

the long version

The Right to Vote: Rights and Liberties under the Law tracks the expansion of the franchise in America from colonial times to the present. Opening with a case study establishing the importance of access to the ballot, the main emphasis shifts to pivotal points in American history including the hard-fought struggles for women's suffrage and racial equality.A chapter on 21st-century voting rights addresses the most unsettled issue we face todayothe use of majority-minority districts to enhance the political influence of African Americans and Latinos. A parting look at free and fair elections and the 2000 presidential election debacle shows how votes not counted or improperly credited can make a mockery of the democratic process.