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Voting

Voting & Elections in the United States

Congressional Information

Legislation by Subject

Websites

Documents/Pamphlets/Manuscripts

Books

Indianapolis Newspaper Index

Subject Headings

From the passage of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and to the impending presidential campaigns of 2012, voting and elections have made indelible marks on the country. The Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and Amendments 11-27, serves as an outline and timeline of events in American history regarding voting and elections, as well as the rights and privileges granted to the citizens of these United States.

The following Research Guide provides a brief list of materials specific to voting and elections in the United States from 1787 through the present. Please contact the Reference & Government Services Division of the Indiana State Library for assistance in finding these materials. For information on Indiana-specific elections, please see the Indiana Subject Guide.

Congressional Information

Location

Item

Date

online

US Constitution

1787

online

Bill of Rights

1787

online

Amendments 11-27

1787

pd 328 H2o v.1

Action of the Senate and House of Representatives relative to examining and counting the electoral votes for president and vice president of the U.S., 1789-1869, Senate.

1873

pd324 Un58tes

Presidential election investigation, House committee on alleged frauds in presidential election of 1876.

1876

pd324 Un58e

Electoral vote of certain states: testimony, Senate committee on privileges and elections.

1877

pd328 i1a v.9

(Suffrage)Committee on Woman Suffrage report on amendment.

1890

pd328.i7s v.26

Election of United States senators by the people...57th Congress, 1st session, 1901-1902, Senate.

1902

pd16 Un58

List of references on primary elections, particularly direct primaries.

1905

pd16 Un58

Library of Congress discussions of 14th/15th amendments. 1906.

1906

pd328 i9j v.2

Election and term of office of members of Congress.

1906

pd324.247 Un58s

State absentee voting and registration laws, Office of War Info.

1942

pd353.1 Un58mp [v.2 no.45]

Presidential elections; provisions of the Constitution and of the U.S. code.

1944

pd328a J89-1 86-15

Voting rights.  Hearings on HR 10018. February 9-16, 1960.

1960

pd328a R86-2 R26

Federal registrars.  Hearings before the committee on rules and administration.  US Senate 86th Congress, 2nd session on S.2684 & others.

1960

pd328a J89-2 P92-8

Qualifications for voting.

1961

pd 326.85 Un58V

Voting in Mississippi: a report.  Commission on Civil Rights.

1965

pd328a J89-2 V94-2

Voting rights.  Hearings 89th Congress, 1st session on S.1564 to enforce the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.

1965

Legislation by Subject

Location

Subject

pd 328 J4g v.1

Campaign contributions

pd 328 Un58p [congress 1877]

Counting electoral votes

pd 324.73 Un58f 1960, 1962, 1964

 

pd 328a J89-2 E1-2

Electors

pd 317 Un58eL 1943-no.1, 1945-no.3, 1946-no.5

Elections-Bureau of other Census

pd 328 J2W v.25

Electoral college

pd 328a J89-1 82-7

 

pd 328aa J89-2 EL-2

 

pd 329.273 Un58fe

Federal corrupt practices act and Hatch political activities act

pd 328 #20 v.1

Electoral votes

pd 324.23 Un58M

Delegate selection

pd 328 aj89-2 p92-7

Terms (presidential)

pd 353 Un58te (1945)

 

pd 328a G74-7 P92-2

Transition (presidential)

Websites

Federal Election Commission

Library of Congress Primary Documents in American History

National Archives Electoral College Explanation

United States Election Assistance Commission

The Us Government’s Official Web Portal on Elections and Voting

Documents/Pamphlets/Manuscripts

Location

Item

Format

Broadside S 1920-1938

Federal Suffrage Amendment/Woman's Franchise League of Indiana.  1920.

Manuscripts

Y 3.EL 2/3:18/6

Montjoy, Robert S.  Motor voter registration programs.  1992.

Microform

95-1:S.RP.121

United States.  Amending the Overseas citizens voting rights act of 1975 and the Federal voting assistance act of 1955:  report to accompany S. 703.  1977.

Print

Y 1.1/8:111-211

United States.  Universal Right to Vote by Mail Act of 2009, July 16th 2009, 111-1 House Report 111-211.  2009.

Print

Y 3.EL 2/5:8 V94/2010

United States.  A voter's guide to federal elections.  2010.

Print

CR 1.10:84

United States Commission on Civil Rights.  A citizen's guide to understanding the Voting Rights Act.  1984.

Microform

CR 1.2:SU2

United States Commission on Civil Rights.  The last suffrage frontier:  enfranchising mental hospital residents:  a report/prepared by the Pennsylvania Advisory committee to the U.S. Commission of Civil Rights.  1978.

Print

CR 1.2V 94/4

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.  The voting rights act, unfulfilled goals:  a report of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.  1981.

Print

Books

Location

Item

ISLM JK1898.5 A33 2010

Adams, Katherine H. and Keene, Michael L. (2010). After the vote was won. Jefferson NC: McFarland & Co.

ISLM JK1896.A5

Allen, William Harvey. (1911). Woman's part in government: whether she votes or not. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.

ISLM JK1896.B35 2005

Baker, Jean H. (2005). Sisters: the lives of America's suffragists. Jefferson NC: McFarland & Co.

ISLM JK1967.B42

Bean, Louis H. (1968). How America votes in presidential elections. Metuchen NJ: Scarecrow Press.

ISLM JK1896.C55 2003

Clift, Eleanor. (2003). Founding sisters and the Nineteenth Amendment. Hoboken NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

ISLM KF4905.G7

Graham, Gene S.(1972).  One man, one vote. Boston: Little Brown.

ISLM KF 4886.H37 2003

Hansen, Richard L. (2003). The Supreme Court and election law:  judging equality from Baker v. Carr to Bush v. Gore. New York: NYU Press.

IP 323.6 No. 16

Hays, Will H. (1940). It's up to every American.

ISLM JK2271.K56

Knoke, David. (1976). Change and continuity in American politics:  the social bases of political parties. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

[Ref.] ISLM JK 1967.M54 1989

Miller, Walter E. and Traugott, Santa A. (1989). American national election studies data sourcebook, 1952-1986. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.

[Ref.]ISLM JK1967.C662 2001 v.1-2 4th ed.

Moore, John L. (2001). Congressional Quarterly’s guide to US elections. Washington DC: CQ Press. 4th ed.

[Ref.] ISLM JK1976.M57 1999

Moore, John L. (1999). Elections A to Z. Washington DC: CQ Press.

ISLM JK1968.1980.E4

Pierce, John C. (1980). The electorate reconsidered. Beverly Hills: Sage Publications.

ISLM JK529.P4

Pierce, Neal R. (1968). The people's President:  the electoral college in American history and the direct vote alternative. New York: Simon and Schuster.

ISLM JK1967.E447 1987

Reichley, James. (1987). Elections American style. Washington DC: Brookings Institution.

ISLM JK1967.R87 2001

Rusk, Jerrold G. (2001).A statistical history of the American electorate. Washington DC: CQ Press.

ISLM JK 528.S28

Sayre, Wallace S. and Parris, Judith H. (1970). Voting for president; the electoral college and the American political system. Washington DC: Brookings Institution.

[Ref.] ISLM JK1967 A8 v.1-28

Scammon, Richard M. (1955-2008). America Votes. Washington DC: Election Research Center, Congressional Quarterly.

ISLM JK1987.T45 1992

Teixeira, Ruy A. (1992). The disappearing American voter. Washington DC: Brookings Institution.

ISLM JK1853.W33

Wallace, David. (1964).  First Tuesday:  a study of rationality in voting. Garden City NY: Doubleday.

ISLM HJ1976.W38 2002

Wattenberg, Martin P. (2002). Where have all the voters gone? Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.

[Ref.] ISLM JK1971 Y68 1987

Young. Michael L. (1987). American dictionary of campaigns & elections. Lanham MD: Hamilton Press.

Indianapolis Newspaper Index

Please refer to our online Indianapolis Newspaper Index or visit our card catalog index at the library. The following subject headings refer to the card catalog. Use these to find articles on or relating to the voting.

Voting--four (4) cards

Elections--204 cards

Registrations--13 cards

Absent Voter Law--four (4) cards

Election Laws--two (2) cards

Election of 1876--one (1) card

Apportionment--125 cards (Also refers to Census pathfinder)

Voters--three (3) cards

Subject Headings

The State Library has many sources on the voting beyond those listed above. Use these headings when searching our catalog for topics related to voting and elections.

Voting

Absentee voting

Ballot

Electronic voting

Legislative bodies--Voting

Literacy tests (Election law)

Majorities

Postal voting

Suffrage

Campaign funds

Electoral college

Election monitoring

Direct election

Nominations for office

Plebiscite

Presidents--Election

Primaries

Proportional representation

Representative government and representation

Vote-by-mail elections

Voting, Compulsory

Voting research

Vice-Presidents--Election

Apportionment (Election law)

Election districts

Gerrymandering

Compiled by V. Henderson 2/2012