Terrell Election Law facts for kids

The Terrell Election Law was a set of rules made in Texas between 1902 and 1907. These rules changed how people voted. They brought in things like a poll tax, a secret ballot, and a special way for political parties to choose their candidates. This happened during a time in American history called the Progressive Era, when many laws were changed to try and improve society.

The 1903 part of the law allowed political parties to decide who could vote in their special elections, called primaries. This rule was used to stop African Americans from voting in the Democratic Party primaries. A poll tax, which made people pay money to vote, had already started in 1902. Both of these laws made it harder for African Americans to vote. The Terrell Law was named after Alexander W. Terrell.

Understanding the Terrell Election Law

The Terrell Election Law was a big change in how elections worked in Texas. It was part of a larger effort to reform voting rules across the United States. However, some parts of this law had unfair results, especially for African American citizens.

Key Parts of the Law

The Terrell Law introduced several important changes to voting:

• Poll Tax: This was a fee that people had to pay to be able to vote. For many people, especially those who didn't earn much money, this tax made it impossible to vote.
• Secret Ballot: This meant that people could vote in private, without anyone knowing who they voted for. This was a good change that helped prevent people from being pressured or intimidated into voting a certain way.
• Closed Primary System: This system meant that only people who were officially members of a political party could vote in that party's primary elections. Primary elections are held to choose the candidates who will run in the main election.

How the Law Affected Voters

While some parts of the law, like the secret ballot, were meant to improve fairness, other parts were used to prevent certain groups from voting. The poll tax made it hard for many poor people, including many African Americans, to vote.

The closed primary system was especially used to exclude African Americans. In Texas at that time, the Democratic Party was very powerful. By saying that only white people could vote in their primaries, the party effectively stopped African Americans from having a say in who would run for office. This was because winning the Democratic primary usually meant winning the main election.

The Law's Evolution

The Terrell Law was first put into place in 1903. It was later updated and changed in 1905 and 1906. A very strict change was added in 1923. This change completely banned African Americans from voting in any Democratic Party primaries. This was a clear example of racial discrimination in voting.

Challenging the Terrell Law

Many people believed the Terrell Law was unfair and went against the idea of equal voting rights for all citizens. One important person who fought against this law was Lawrence Aaron Nixon.

Lawrence Aaron Nixon's Fight

Lawrence Aaron Nixon was an African American doctor who lived in Texas. He believed that the law preventing him from voting in the Democratic primary was wrong. He decided to take his fight to court.

He sued the state, and his case eventually reached the highest court in the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court. This case was known as Nixon v. Herndon. In this important case, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the part of the Terrell Law that banned African Americans from voting in primaries was unconstitutional. This meant it went against the basic laws of the country.

Continued Legal Battles

Even after the Supreme Court's decision, the Texas Legislature tried to pass new versions of the law to keep African Americans from voting in primaries. Lawrence Aaron Nixon continued to challenge these new laws in court. Another one of his cases also went to the U.S. Supreme Court. The decision in this case was written by Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo. Each time, the Supreme Court upheld the idea that everyone should have the right to vote, regardless of their race. These legal battles were very important steps in the fight for civil rights in the United States.