Do You Know Your Rights?

The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee equality for all Americans. Women, people of color and people who identify as LGBTQ+ experience discrimination more frequently than white men. The 14^th Amendment has been interpreted to prevent some forms of discrimination, but the Supreme Court has been hesitant to embrace a 21^st-century interpretation of this amendment.

The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed in 1923 to guarantee equal rights for American citizens regardless of sex. In 1972 the ERA was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. By the 1982 deadline the amendment had only received 35 of the 38 necessary state ratifications. As of 2020 amid renewed interest in support of the ERA, 38 states have ratified the amendment, although the legal ramifications of this support remains unclear.

An Equal Rights Amendment is now part of many state constitutions. On November 27, 1974, Connecticut overwhelmingly voted to adopt their own Equal Rights Amendment.

Which gender is more likely to vote in a presidential election?

Since 1980 the number of women voting in U.S. presidential elections has been higher than male voter turnout.

What percentage of countries provide paid parental leave?

Parental leave is provided in 96% of the countries of the world. Maternity leave is more often funded than paternity leave. The U.S. is one of the only countries that doesn’t require paid parental leave.

Where does the U.S. rank internationally in pay equity?

In a study of 142 countries, the U.S. placed 65th in pay equity.

How many women are in the U.S. Congress?

Women currently hold 104 seats in Congress, only 19.4%. The U.S. ranks 72nd out of 139 countries regarding equal representation in government.

How many countries guarantee gender equality in their constitution?

Of the 197 countries with constitutions, 165 guarantee gender equality. The Equal Rights Amendment, which would have made equality a constitutional right in the U.S., was never ratified.

Can felons vote in Connecticut?

Individuals on probation may vote, but those in prison or on parole may not. Felons who owe fines are also barred from voting, making Connecticut one of only six states that bar people from voting due to money owed.

Which age group is most likely to vote in U.S. elections?

In the 2018 midterm elections, 65% of Americans over the age of 60 voted. The likelihood of voting increases incrementally with age.

How many states have never had a female governor?

There are 20 U.S. states that have never had a female governor. The largest number of female governors in office at any time has been nine.

Can you vote if your name isn’t on the voter registration list?

Yes. Ask for a provisional ballot. Election officials are responsible for determining if you are registered and will count your vote if you are.

How many states are being sued for suppressing voting rights?

There are currently 15 states involved in lawsuits for voter suppression (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin).

Do women receive equal pay for equal work in the U.S.?

Women are not paid for equal work. White women receive 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man, African American women receive 64 cents and Hispanic women 54 cents. Tax rates are the same for men and women.

How many eligible Americans are not registered to vote?

There are 51 million people, or 24% of Americans, eligible to vote who are not registered.

What percentage of U.S. businesses are owned or operated by women?

Women own and/or operate 30% of businesses.

What percentage of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs?

Only 6.6% of Fortune 500 companies have women as their CEOs. In 1972 Katharine Graham became the first female Fortune 500 CEO when she became CEO of the Washington Post.

Which gender has more college-educated adults?

For the last 40 years there have been more women than men in the U.S. with college degrees. In 2019 there were more college-educated women than men in the workforce.

What percentage of U.S. women keep their last name when they marry?

20% of women keep their last name when they marry, and an additional 10% choose to hyphenate their name, with both of these trends on the rise.

What amendments in the Constitution protect the right to vote?

The 15th (ratified in 1870), 19th (ratified in 1920) and 26th (ratified in 1971).

What percentage of men support the Equal Rights Amendment?

According to a 2016 poll, more than 90% of men, both Democrats and Republicans, support the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment.

When was the Voting Rights Act passed?

In 1965.

However, in 2013 the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the provision that required states with a history of suppressing minority voting rights from making any changes to voting laws without prior approval of the U.S. Attorney General. This has resulted in actions to suppress minority voting rights, including purging voter registration lists, setting strict voter identification guidelines and restricting when and where people can vote.

What percentage of votes cast in an election are fraudulent?

According to the Brennan Center for Justice and its examination of numerous studies, between .0003% and .0025% of all votes cast are determined to be fraudulent, but on examination are actually due to clerical errors.