Political Participation Quiz 3.13, Chapter 8 Slide 2 Slide 3
Voter Turn Out Facts Half of eligible voters vote on election day.
40% of eligible voters vote in the midterm elections. We have one
of the lowest voter turn out of all the Western Democracies. Slide
4 Is this comparison misleading? Different factors- registered v.
total population Difficult to measure- many say they voted in
surveys when they did not. expansion of those who are eligible to
vote decreased election reporting Other countries have compulsory
voting. -Why dont we? Other forms of participation have increased.
Has voter turn out actually declined? Slide 5 Patterns of Voting
Behavior Education Age Lowest under 20 ( high in other civic
participation such as volunteering) Highest over 40 Race Sex
Religion Closeness of race Slide 6 The expansion of the Right to
Vote Is every U.S. citizen of voting age is allowed to vote? 15 th
Amendment- "the right of citizens of the United States to vote
shall not be abridged by the United States or by any state on
account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude?"
Literacy test Poll tax Grandfather clause White primary 19 th
Amendment- Women Note: Most voting regulations are left up to the
states Slide 7 Expansion of the right to vote 23 rd Amendment: gave
voters in Washington, D.C., the right to vote in presidential
elections. 24 th Poll tax 26 th Amendment- 18 year olds Voting
Rights Act of 1965 Suspends literacy tests Appointed federal
examiners who could order registration of blacks in areas where
fewer than 50% were registered. imposition of criminal penalties
for interfering with the right to vote. Slide 8 participation
groups inactives- avoid all participation Activists- participate in
all forms Campaigners- vote and participate in campaigns
Communalists- join non partisan organizations parochial
participants- dont vote, but write officials voting specialists-
only vote Slide 9 Efforts to increase voting turn out Decreasing
Voter Fraud: Increased voter regulations results in lower turn out
vote early, vote often Australian Ballot Registration drives Early
Voting Same day registration (Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, and
Wisconsin) Areas with high rate of non English speakers must
provide ballot in their language. Motor Voter Act Resulted in an
increase in independent voter registrations. Easing restrictions
Example: Since 1970, federal law has prohibited states from having
residency requirements longer than 30 days for presidential
elections.
