Voting Rights At A Glance

Every citizen of the United States has a right to vote for public officials. One of the fundamental philosophies of the United States is that our country was founded through a democratic environment. As a result, each citizen of the country possesses one valid vote which can be delivered to whichever candidate they wish to vote for. The federal laws associated with voting are fairly simple: every American citizen over the age of 18 years old who possesses a clean criminal record has a right to vote.

The right to vote in the United States was firmly established through the passing of the National Voting Rights Act of 1965. Throughout America's history voting rights have been a contested issue. The passing of this act outlawed all discriminatory voting practices that were previously aimed at disenfranchising various races and women from participating in voting. Through this bill, the right to vote is now shared by all American citizens over the age of 18 years old.

NEXT: What Are The Early Voting Polls