Voting Rights for Women

In 1913, activist Alice Paul led a march of men and women through Washington D.C. promoting a women’s suffrage amendment. Police arrested many for “obstructing traffic” and “disorderly conduct.” The Nineteenth Amendment, giving women the right to vote, was ratified in 1920.

1914, Washington State

First Voters Pamphlet

The Secretary of State published Washington’s first statewide Voters Pamphlet. Today the elections resource is published and distributed to some 3,000,000 households for General Elections in the fall. Many Washington counties also produce their own voters pamphlets. Those pamphlets, include information about candidates running for county positions.

1931-1980, United States

Finally...Civil Rights

In 1965, a landmark Voting Rights Act authorized the federal government to take over voter registration in areas where state officials had regularly prevented blacks and other minorities from voting and registering to vote through prohibitive literacy tests.