GROUP TWO (2)
What Should the Right to Vote Mean in Practice?
Although adult Americans see themselves as having the right to vote, voting does not have the same Constitutional status as, say, the right to free expression or the right to a fair trial. With those rights, the government is obliged to take steps to ensure that they are upheld in practice not just on paper.
Voting is different. State governments have been granted wide leeway in controlling access to the ballot—for example, by setting/determining registration periods, polling place hours, and identification requirements. Some states have even enacted policies aimed at making voting harder for some, rather than easier.
Which groups do these policies most often impact, and are they potentially discriminatory? Which approach to voting rights the best one and should the government be obligated to take positive steps to ensure that every citizen who wants to vote is able to do so? Why?
