What amendment gives us the right to vote?

Question

Where actually does it say in the constituation that american citizens have the right to vote?

Answer 1

Have you read the 9th?

"The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people."

What that means is... nobody can write down on a piece of paper what all your rights are. The intention of the bill of rights is not to "Provide rights to you" Its saying "These are rights that this government can never take away from you".

Rights don't come from government laws! A law is the anti-right!

You have more rights than the constitution or any other piece of paper can list. These rights of yours come from your property. (You can do what you want with what you own.)
Since you own your body.. you have a right to select a leader for yourself if you so choose.

Answer 2

I don't think it does. The 15th (blacks), 19th (Women), & the 26th (18-20 yr olds) extend sufferage to specific parts of the population. the 24 bans poll taxes as a condition to vote. The 17th specifies popular election of Senators. Article 1 section 2 says House members are to be chosen by the people.


but I haven't found anything that says we have a right to vote in general.

Answer 3

k X gave a very good answer. The very structure of the US Constitution is based on the premise that the Government derives it powers from the People, not the other way around. The right to vote PRE-EXISTS the constitution.

The closest I found is the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed BY THEIR CREATOR with certian unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government,"

The right to ABOLISH the government certainly includes the right to vote.

Answer 4

Well it was embedded for man to be able to vote in the constitution so there was nothing to amend and the country founders originally only believed men should vote so no there wouldn't be an amendment for everyone in general.