Have you heard about the upcoming election? The one on Tuesday, November 3?
I hope you’re already aware of it, because it’s kind of dominating the news right now. Also, the last day you can register to vote is October 7 — one week from today! If you want to vote absentee or by mail, your last day to request a ballot application is October 21.
Let’s review those dates:
- October 7 – Last day to register to vote.
- October 21 – Last day to request an absentee or mail-ballot application.
- November 3 – General election.
A good starting place for information about everything on the ballot is our November 3, 2020 General Election Topic Guide.
If this has gotten you into a civic-minded spirit, or just more curious about our voting rights, here are some resources that can give you some insight into the past, present and possible future of voting rights in the United States:
“What You Need to Know About Voting — and Why” is a comprehensive primer on voting in the U.S. that walks readers through the basics of how voting works state to state, and which articles and amendments in the Constitution relate to voting.
From the beginning, and at every step along the way, as Americans sought to right to vote, others have fought to stop them. “The Fight to Vote” traces the full story of this struggle,from the founders’ debates to today’s challenges.
In the second half of the nineteenth century voter turnout reached unprecedented peaks with young people leading the way. Massive midnight rallies were filled with hollering, fighting, and flirting. ”The Virgin Vote: How Young Americans Made Democracy Social, Politics Personal, and Voting Popular in the Nineteenth Century” tells this story, and puts into historical context how powerful an energized youth demographic can be.
“Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America” is a groundbreaking narrative history of voting rights since the 1965 Voting Rights Act was passed. It describes the continuing battle for the right to vote against various efforts to limit political representation.
“Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College?” Asks an important question about our electoral system. “Let the People Pick the President: The Case for Abolishing the Electoral College” and “Enlightened Democracy: The Case for the Electoral College” offer different answers.
“The Vote” and “She Votes: How U.S. Women Won Suffrage, and What Happened Next” discuss the hard-fought campaign waged by American women for the right to vote, and how women have continued to speak out for all U.S. women to have a voice in the future of their country.
“Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won The Vote, And Insisted On Equality For All,” “Answering the Call: The American Struggle for the Right to Vote” and “Say It Louder! Black Voters, White Narratives, and Saving Our Democracy” look at the past, present and future of the ongoing struggle for black voters to be fairly counted.
If you’re looking for even more, here is a more extensive list of titles we have. Oh, and don’t forget to vote. November 3rd. It’s kind of a big deal.
