Legal Definitions - Women's Suffrage Amendment

The Women's Suffrage Amendment is the common name for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Ratified in 1920, this amendment guarantees that the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. In essence, it legally established and protected women's right to vote across the entire nation.

• Example 1: Following the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, women across the country, who had previously been excluded from the polls in many states, were able to register and cast their votes in the 1920 presidential election. This marked the first time that American women could participate in a federal election on an equal footing with men nationwide.

  Explanation: This example directly illustrates the immediate and practical effect of the Women's Suffrage Amendment, demonstrating how it removed legal barriers based on sex, allowing millions of women to exercise their newly secured right to vote.

• Example 2: A state passes a new election law requiring all voters to present a specific type of government-issued photo ID that, due to historical and socioeconomic factors, is disproportionately difficult for women in rural areas to obtain. Civil rights organizations could challenge this law in court, arguing that it effectively abridges women's right to vote and therefore violates the protections guaranteed by the Nineteenth Amendment.

  Explanation: This scenario shows how the Women's Suffrage Amendment continues to be a vital legal tool today, protecting against laws that, even if not explicitly discriminatory, could have the practical effect of denying or limiting women's access to the ballot box.

• Example 3: During a local school board election, a candidate's campaign manager attempts to discourage women from voting by spreading misinformation that only property owners are eligible to vote, knowing that fewer women in the district own property. This action would be a direct attempt to suppress votes based on sex, and the affected women could seek legal recourse, citing their protected right to vote under the Women's Suffrage Amendment.

  Explanation: This example highlights how the Women's Suffrage Amendment safeguards against both overt and subtle attempts to prevent women from exercising their franchise, ensuring their equal participation in all levels of elections.