White, Male, 21 or older, Landowner – Do you check all the boxes? Those were the requirements for you to be able to vote at the beginning of our republic. Do you know why they changed the required age from 21 to 18? When they began to provide translated voting materials for areas with large numbers of citizens that had limited English skills?
Voting is a fundamental component of our democracy, designed so that We the People, would be the ones to determine the way we shape our society. Over the years, the right to vote in America has evolved and although many movements made this possible, they weren't necessarily inclusive and didn't erase barriers or discrimination that citizens would continue to fight for years to come. On this episode, American Politics Professor at Florida International University, Dr. Kathryn DePalo-Gould takes us back to the start and talks us through the evolution of voting in America.
Dr. DePalo-Gould is the author of “The Failure of Term Limits in Florida,” which examines the effects of term limits on Florida’s State legislature. She has extensive experience in state and local government processes and elections and has managed several campaigns. Her teaching focus is American politics, including judicial process, gender and politics, and state and local government. Dr. DePalo’s primary research interest is in Florida politics, and has published on topics such as state judicial selection, the effects of gender in state legislative politics, and career paths of term-limited legislators.