Voter suppression

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/voter-suppression

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the core function?Discouragement or prevention of specific groups from voting or registering
2. What is the strategic intent?To gain an electoral advantage by reducing the turnout of certain voters
3. Why is voter suppression bad for democracy?It hurts democracy because it keeps some people from voting, so the government might not listen to everyone and can make unfair rules.
4. How did people try to stop voting in the past?In the past, laws like poll taxes and literacy tests were used to make it hard for African Americans to vote after the Civil War.

Universal Suffrage: The right of all adult citizens to vote, regardless of race, sex, or economic status.
Electoral Advantage: A benefit gained in an election that helps one candidate or party win.
Disenfranchisement: The state of being deprived of the right to vote.