"U.S. election laws date back to Article 1 of the Constitution. This gave states the responsibility of overseeing federal elections. Many constitutional amendments and federal laws protecting voting rights have been passed since then." --USA.gov
Try these terms in SDCCD Books+ Advanced Search to find resources on voting rights in the SDCC Library. These are just a few possible terms, not the only ones; you may come across new terms that are more relevant to your research as you go along.
| Chinese Exclusion Act | franchise | suffrage |
| Civil Rights Movement | gerrymandering | voter suppression |
| Electoral College | Indian Citizens Act | Voting Rights Act |
When deciding on sources to use, remember that source types can vary by the viewpoint of the author and distance from the original work. Imagine a bullseye, where primary sources (1) are at the very center, secondary sources (2) are the middle ring, and tertiary sources (3) are the outer ring. Knowing the differences between source types can affect your selection of library resources and your overall research strategy.
Consider the following when selecting a source to use:
Viewpoint of the author: (1) Eyewitness (2) Interpreter (3) Expert
Distance from the original work: (1) Original (2) Interpretation (3) Overview
Library resource type: (3) Reference work (2) Monograph (1) Memoir
As a research strategy: (3) Background (2) Depth (1) Examples
The United States National Archives and Records Administration web site provides scans of original historic documents, as well as context and interpretation for many of them. See below:
The Library of Congress also collects primary source material and makes it freely available to the public:
These books provide context and interpretation to the issues they discuss. Some of them analyze the text of primary source documents as well.
Blackballed : the Black Vote and US Democracy by 
The Embattled Vote in America by 
Milestone Documents in American History by 
Voting Rights in America by These resources provide overviews of the issues they cover, providing background information. Some may include primary source documents.
(Gale) Formerly called Gale Virtual Reference Library. Reference books, including encyclopedias, almanacs, and biographical books. Full text. See help guide: Using e-Books: Gale
Encyclopedia of the United States Constitution by 
Latinos in the American Political System by 
Women in the American Political System by Looking for images, audio, or video? Here are a few credible web sites and some examples of their offerings:
Photo provided by Unseen Histories on Unsplash
"[Marchers with signs at the March on Washington, 1963]" Original black and white negative by Marion S. Trikosko. Taken August 28th, 1963, Washington D.C, United States (@libraryofcongress). Colorized by Jordan J. Lloyd. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA https://www.loc.gov/item/2013648849/
(Infobase Learning) Streaming video collection of over 36,000 full-length videos and 275,000 video clips on a variety of subject areas. Includes documentaries and collections from BBC, California Newsreel, History Channel, HBO, Frontline, Ken Burns, Modern Marvels and many, many more. Find these three videos by title in the search box: California State of Mind, Paywall, and The Pushouts.
