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Discover Western Prince William September 2018

Voting: A Privilege, a Right, a Duty

November 6, 2018: If this date doesn't ring

a bell, mark it now. As the Tuesday after

the first Monday in November, it marks

the next Election Day, and this year, a

potentially impactful mid-term election.

If you've ever wondered how November

general elections became the norm,

there's a simple explanation. In the 1800s,

farmers made up the majority of citizens.

For them, holding elections in the spring or

early summer interfered with the planting

season, while late summer and early fall

elections overlapped with the harvest.

So November--after the harvest but

before harsher winter weather--was the

best choice. Initially, states were allowed

to hold elections any time they chose

within the 34-day period prior to the

first Wednesday in December, when the

electors were required to meet in their

state capitals to vote (today they

meet on the Monday after

the second Wednesday

in December). But in

1845, Congress passed

a federal law designating

the Tuesday following the

first Monday in November

as Election Day.

To better understand the

importance of this Constitutional

right, let's take a look at the historical

evolution of voting. In 1776, as a newly

independent nation, the United States

only granted white male landowners

who were 21 or older the right to vote.

This was the norm until 1868, when the

14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

granted full citizenship rights--including

voting rights--to all men born or

naturalized in the United States. Just

two years later, the 15th Amendment

eliminated racial barriers to voting, but

voter discrimination, poll taxes, literacy

tests, fraud, and intimidation prevented

many eligible voters from going to the

polls, and Native Americans were still

denied the right to vote.

Although Washington State voters

amended their state constitution to allow

Washingtonian women to vote and run

for office in 1910, it wasn't until 1920

that the 20th Amendment was ratified,

allowing women nationwide the right

to vote, and another four years passed

before the Indian Citizenship Act finally

granted Native Americans citizenship

and voting rights.

In 1964, the federal Civil Rights Act

ensured that all men and women age 21

and older, regardless of race, religion, or

education, had the right to vote, and the

24th Amendment was ratified, eliminating

poll taxes nationwide. At that time, there

were just five states--including Virginia--

that retained a poll tax. The next year,

the federal Voting Rights Act suspended

literacy tests, and registration and voting

rights were federally enforced. It wasn't

until 1971 that the 26th Amendment

lowered the voting age to 18.

Throughout the years, other federal

and state legislative acts have made

improvements to the voting process,

but it continues to be a work in

progress. Considering the

evolution of voting, what

is now a right was at first

a privilege to many. By

establishing the United

States of America, the

Founding Fathers set up

a democracy, which by

definition is a government

of eligible members who are

elected by the people. By that token,

voting is indeed a duty--a cornerstone

of citizenship.

If you're new to the county and haven't yet

registered to vote here, or if you've moved

to a different Prince William address

since the last time you voted, there's

plenty of time to register or update your

information. To vote in the next general

election, completed voter registration

applications must be received by the

Prince William County Voter Registration

Office by October 15. The office is located

at 9250 Lee Avenue in Manassas and is

open for in-person visits MondayFriday

from 8:30 a.m.5:00 p.m. or by phone

(703) 792-6470. In addition, voter

registration applications are available

at the Manassas Department of Motor

Vehicles (9800 Godwin Drive) and all

Prince William County Public Library

offices. They're also available online at

www.pwcvotes.com.

~ Nancy Griffin-Bonnaire

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