The United States is a democracy, which means that people get to vote for leaders who make important decisions. These decisions affect everyone, even those who cannot vote yet or are not citizens. Thus voting helps decide rules and laws that shape your community, your state, the country, and even how the United States interacts with the world. Because elections can have short-term and lasting consequences, there have always been debates about who should be allowed to vote. Throughout history, young people and others who were excluded from voting have fought to be included because government decisions impact their lives, their communities, and the natural environment.

Across US history, we can see that voting rules have changed. At first, the rules for who could vote were decided by each state, and most states only allowed white men who owned land to vote. Consequently, women, Black people, Native Americans, and even white men without land could not vote, even if they were born in the United States and paid taxes.

There were a few exceptions, such as in New Jersey, where women could vote for a short time in the 1790s, though they lost those rights in 1807. Different states changed their rules over time, sometimes allowing African American and Native American men to vote—but these rights could also be (and often were) taken away.

This module explores the importance of voting, and how young people can encourage eligible citizens to participate in government elections.