Throughout American history, many minority groups have faced significant obstacles to voting rights. Traditionally, specific populations, keen to protect their power over others, have maintained tight control over this privilege. In doing so, violations of fundamental human rights have taken place; state and federal governments have established voting restrictions based on race. Fortunately, several methods were adopted to overcome these limitations, resulting in the voting practices used today. These recent legislations passed by the government have benefited voters. This research paper will delve into the major state or government restrictions placed on different races in America, examine ways to overcome these limitations, and provide a small overview of how voting is conducted today and the actions that the government has been put in place to help voters have a more pleasant voting experience. There is no "right to vote" written into the U.S. Constitution, therefore each state has taken the task of deciding who can vote into its own hands (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, 1). States set their own standards and evolve separately, unless federal laws are adopted for each state. This independence ultimately led to segregation between those who had the privilege of voting and those who did not. Although many discriminatory hardships were imposed on different races in America, the government also recognized these unnecessary restrictions and made the decision to banish these limitations. Many milestones were reached in the fight for voting in America between the late 1700s and early 2000s, but this analysis focuses on the major restrictions and overcomings of those limitations on the Wh.... .. middle of document ......and today everyone has the right to vote. The restrictions have been overcome and the struggles to vote are now stifled. Works Cited Cobb-LaMarche (2004) History of Voting Rights in America. http://www.iwantmyvote.com/recount/history/. October 26, 2011 9:35 a.m. Historical facts (2011) Important dates in the history of voting. http://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/hancock/pol204/history.htm. October 26, 2011 9:56 am Mintz, Steven The Gilder Lehrman Institution of American History (2004) Winning the Vote: A History of Voting Rights. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/historynow/09_2004/historian.php. November 1, 2011 10:15 a.m. Pearson Education (2011) Voting Rights in the United States. http://www.infoplease.com/timelines/voting.html. November 18, 2011 11:50 Dewey Decimal Classification and Dewey (2008) Research Guide for Students. http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html#step4. November 18 2011 12:01.