Who gets to vote? Voting is how people get a say in what happens in their city, state or country. In the United States, a citizen who is 18 or older can vote. That is the rule as of February 2026. Let's see how people vote today, and how the right to vote grew over time. Let's start with Election Day.

On Election Day, many people go to a polling place to vote. That is not the only way. As of November 2026, many states let people vote in person before Election Day. Some people vote by mail. Others drop off a ballot before Election Day. Many votes are decided by a simple majority. Before any of this, most people must sign up to vote. In almost every state, people register first. North Dakota does not require it. That is the rule as of February 2026.

After they register, people can vote in national, state and local elections. That is the rule as of February 2026. People choose representatives to make decisions for them in government. The word democracy means "rule by the people." It comes from Greek words. The right to vote has its own name. It is called suffrage.

Here is one big step in the story. It is the 15th Amendment. Congress passed it on February 26, 1869. It was ratified on February 3, 1870. It says the right of citizens to vote cannot be denied because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It gave African American men the right to vote. Let's look at the next step.

Women worked for decades to win the right to vote. An amendment to give women the vote was first introduced in Congress in 1878. Before the 19th Amendment, women won the vote in some states first. Western states led the way. Then came the 19th Amendment. Congress passed it on June 4, 1919. It was ratified on August 18, 1920.

The 19th Amendment says the right of citizens to vote cannot be denied because of sex. It gave women the right to vote across the United States. Next, look at the rules that kept some people from the polls. In the South, African Americans faced poll taxes, literacy tests and other rules meant to deny them the vote. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to overcome those legal barriers.

President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law on August 6, 1965. Look at the 24th Amendment, too. Congress passed it on August 27, 1962. It was ratified on January 23, 1964. It says a citizen cannot be kept from voting in federal elections for failing to pay a poll tax or other tax. These are two more steps in the story of the vote.

Here is a different question. How is a president chosen? Look at the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a process, not a place. It is the system by which the president and vice president are chosen. A majority of the electors is needed to elect the President. That is the rule as of November 2026. Let's go back to the story of the vote.

Now think about age. Before the 26th Amendment, the voting age in most states was 21. During the Vietnam War, support grew for lowering the voting age. Young people led the push. Congress passed the 26th Amendment on March 23, 1971. It was ratified on July 1, 1971. It says citizens who are 18 or older cannot be kept from voting because of age. It was ratified in one hundred days. That is the fastest approval of any amendment.

Words to know

• suffrage: right to vote
• democracy: rule by people
• register: sign up
• amendment: added rule