State Voting Laws in America Historical Statutes and Their Modern Implications

State Voting Laws in America documents changing views on voting rights, emphasizing court rulings which shaped our understanding of what constitutes a legitimate right to vote.

Michael Smith is Associate Professor of Political Science at Emporia University, USA. He also writes a monthly newspaper column that appears in the Wichita Eagle and several smaller Kansas newspapers, and he appears regularly on the television show 'This Week in Kansas.'

Kevin Anderson is the author of Agitations: Ideologies and Strategies in African-American Politics (2010). He has also co-authored a book chapter on political candidates who die during campaigns, plus numerous conference presentations.

Chapman Rackaway has authored numerous textbooks, articles, and book chapters. Rackaway has published co-authored articles in PS: Political Science and Politics and Journal of Politics, in addition to the book Communicating Politics Online. Rackaway writes a monthly newspaper column for the Wichita Eagle, and appears regularly on the television show 'This Week in Kansas.'

Alexis Gatson is an undergraduate political science major at Emporia State University, USA.

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
PART I: SOWING THE SEEDS
2. The Limited Definition of Citizenship
3. Abolition and the Right to Self-Determination
PART II: CIVIL WAR, RECONSTRUCTION, AND RETRENCHMENT
4. The 1876 Election and the Minor Ruling: Era of Retrenchment
PART III: MACHINES, PROGRESSIVES, AND WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE
5. The Progressives: Fighting Fraud, Suppressing Turnout
6. The Suffragettes and the 19th Amendment
PART IV: THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND THE STRUGGLE FOR RECOGNITION
7. The Civil Rights Era
8. The 1970s: Mixed Results Upon Implementation
9. Motor Voter and HAVA
PART V: A NEW ERA OF RETRENCHMENT?
10. Empirical Studies of Voting Laws
11. Voter Fraud?
12. The 2012 Laws in the Courts
13. After Shelby County
14. A Return to Expanded Voting?
15. Tightened Voting Laws and Turnout
16. Results
17. Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
Bibliography
Appendix: Kris Kobach, The Man Behind the Laws