Profile America: Women’s Suffrage

Wednesday, January 10th. Legislation to grant women the right to vote was first introduced on this date in 1878 when a California senator proposed the necessary constitutional amendment. It was buried in committee for years and defeated when finally put to a vote in 1887. But some decades later, the matter was settled rather speedily. The 19th Amendment enfranchising women was proposed in Congress in June 1919 and became law in August 1920.

In the 2016 election, 63.3 percent of female citizens 18 and older reported voting. Just over 59 percent of males did the same. Additionally, 72 percent of female citizens reported being registered to vote, while fewer than 69 percent of males were registered.

Profile America is in its 21st year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

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