Monday, October 12, 2015

Is there a guaranteed right to vote explicitly detailed in the U.S. Constitution?

We will detail this in 2305 this week and next.

My position is that there is no explicit right, because it is not states, and states can still place limits on both the right to vote and access to the polls. The power of the states to determine who can and cannot vote has been rolled back over history, but is still not complete. We will walk trough this in class soon enough, but here are opinions on either side of the question from smarter people than me.

- Politifact: U.S. Constitution is not explicit on the right to vote, Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan says.
- Constitutional Accountability Center: Yes. There is a Right to Vote in the Constitution.
- The Atlantic: Voting: Right or Privilege?.
- The Atlantic: What Does the Constitution Actually Say About Voting Rights?.
- Salon: Voting is not a right.
- Democracy Journal: The Missing Right: A Constitutional Right to Vote.
- ACS: Does the U.S. Constitution Guarantee Americans an Affirmative Individual Right to Vote?.