The history of voter eligibility is the history of the growth, diversification, enrichment and empowerment of the United States as a nation. A less enlightened aspect of this history is voter suppression. In the past, legislative mechanisms such as poll taxes and literacy tests were used to disenfranchise various groups. Today efforts are being made in a number of states including Pennsylvania to require photo identification as a requirement to vote. Although couched in neutral language, these efforts, including Pennsylvania House Bill 934 (HB 934), are nothing more than a 21st century version of the 19th century poll taxes.
A brief review of our history demonstrates that prior to the formation of the United States, in several colonies the right to vote could be denied to Catholics, Jews and/or Quakers. But the founding fathers realized that in a new nation disenfranchisement based upon religious differences was an unnecessary obstacle. Hence the world-famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” became a guiding principle for the new nation. Over the years, our country has progressed and this phrase evolved from being interpreted as only including white males with property within the voting citizenry to providing that all adult citizens within a state no matter of race, sex or socioeconomic status are vested as citizens with the right to vote.
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