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The 19th amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1920, declared that citizens in America could not be denied the right to vote based on their sex. In other words, American women were allowed to stand in line to vote alongside the men for the first time. Well, not exactly the first time.

Turn the calendar back 140 years to New Jersey. The New Jersey constitution stated that all inhabitants who met certain property requirements were allowed to vote. It didn't say women couldn't vote, so New Jersey women who owned property showed up at the polls and voted - until indignant politicians passed a law in 1807 to close that loophole and prohibit women from voting.

So, unless your ancestors lived in New Jersey, it's unlikely you'll find any female relatives on the voting lists prior to 1920. But you might find that the males in your family line exercised their right to vote.

Voting requirements varied from state to state. The men usually had to be a certain age and own property. Plus, they typically had to be white. Even after the 15th amendment to the Constitution asserted that citizens of any color or race could vote, blacks and Indians were still often thwarted from voting well into the 20th century. Residency requirements also varied between the states.

Despite these limitations, voter registration lists and poll records can provide abundant clues about your ancestors.

Knowing the voting law peculiarities in your ancestor's state will help you in your hunt. North Carolina, for example, passed a voter registration act in the early 1900s known as the Grandfather Clause.

Prior to this law, North Carolina voters had to meet certain literacy requirements. Consequently, many citizens were barred from voting because of their limited education. The Grandfather Clause allowed citizens to register if they could name an ancestor who had been an eligible voter prior to 1867.

The result was a massive voter registration that included the name of the voter, his age, the name of an ancestor and the ancestor's residence in 1867.

In Florida, thousands of men registered to vote in 1867 and 1868 as the state struggled to reorganize itself after the Civil War. The Florida registration lists include the name of the voter, birthplace, color (many blacks registered and voted), and length of residency in the state and county.

California was particularly ambitious in cataloging its registered voters. Every two years from 1866 into the 1920s, the state printed official registers of voters. These included a variety of useful information. In addition to the voter's name, age and address, you might find his birthplace, occupation, a physical description and whether he was a naturalized citizen or not.

Don't just stop with voter registrations. Check poll and tally books for local and state elections as well. These records list who actually showed up to vote on election day and sometimes the ledger books even note which candidate received your ancestor's vote.

Look for voting records in the county where your ancestor lived. Some are still at the courthouse in the county clerk's office. Other old records have been transferred to state archives or historical libraries.