We hope you are enjoying the unit study on the U.S. election!
Who Gets to Vote?
In the beginning, only white land-owning men who were 21 and older had the right to vote, but this eventually changed.
- The 15th Amendment gave black male citizens the right to vote, just as theĀ 13th Amendment abolished slavery and the 14th Amendment granted birthright citizenship to freed slaves (see the video on History.com).
- The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote (see the video on History.com).
- The 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18Ā (see the video on History.com).
The Electoral College (Explained to Kids)
Watch the following video, “Does your vote count? The Electoral College explained,” byĀ Christina Greer, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Fordham University.
Primary Sources on the Electoral College
Read Article 2, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution (read here).
- Pay close attention to Clauses 2 and 4, where “electors” are mentioned.
- Also, note Clause 3. This was later amended by the 12th Amendment.
Why Should We Keep the Electoral College? (For Older Kids)
Why did the founders of the country have the idea of the electoral college? Why are some trying to get rid of it? The videos below explain the wisdom behind the electoral college system.