Voting and Voter Voting and Voter BehaviorBehavior

VotingPart 1

Who has suffrage in the US? What are the requirements to vote?Who is prohibited from voting? What is voter registration?

Suffrage or Franchise =the right to Suffrage or Franchise =the right to votevote

By 1810 religious qualifications were By 1810 religious qualifications were eliminated, by 1840s property eliminated, by 1840s property requirementsrequirements

1870-151870-15thth Amendment- race Amendment- race 1920-191920-19thth Amendment- gender Amendment- gender 1961- 231961- 23rdrd Amendment- DC residents Amendment- DC residents 1965- Voting Rights Act1965- Voting Rights Act 1964- 241964- 24thth Amendment – no poll tax Amendment – no poll tax 1971- 261971- 26thth Amendment – age 18+ Amendment – age 18+

Universal requirements set by the states Citizenship-(varies by state)Citizenship-(varies by state)

Nothing in the Constitution says that an Nothing in the Constitution says that an alien should not be able to votealien should not be able to vote

Residency-(varies by state)Residency-(varies by state) requirement to live in the state need to be < requirement to live in the state need to be <

than 31 days in a Presidential electionthan 31 days in a Presidential election

AgeAge Limit cannot be higher than 18Limit cannot be higher than 18

Registration- Registration- a procedure of voter a procedure of voter id to prevent fraudulent votingid to prevent fraudulent voting

A Progressive reform – early 1900sA Progressive reform – early 1900s All states except N. Dakota require All states except N. Dakota require

registrationregistration Most European democracies require public Most European democracies require public

officials to compile a list of eligible voters.officials to compile a list of eligible voters. ““Motor-Voter” Law since 1995Motor-Voter” Law since 1995

Persons denied the votePersons denied the vote No state allows anyone living in a No state allows anyone living in a

mental institution to vote.mental institution to vote. ¼ of the states denies voting to ¼ of the states denies voting to

felons.felons. A few states do not allow anyone A few states do not allow anyone

who is dishonorably discharged from who is dishonorably discharged from the military to vote.the military to vote.

Homework: After assessing your personal political

orientation and analyzing the various platforms presented by the existing political parties, you’ve decided to start your OWN 3rd party!– Devise a name for your party and a symbol that

will attract voters.– Create a PLATFORM with at least 5 “planks” from

the following topics: Economy, debt, taxation, foreign affairs, Afghanistan,

Iran, War on Drugs, War on Terror, immigration, homeland security, health, environment, energy, social issues such as abortion, marriage law, capital punishment.

– Write out each “plank” in 2-3 complete sentences which describe and explain your position.

Part 2Part 2

Who votes and why?Who votes and why? Who doesn’t vote and Who doesn’t vote and

why?why?

Why people do not voteWhy people do not vote Close to Close to 100 million did not vote in 2004 % of non-voters is generally increasing% of non-voters is generally increasing

– 56.7% of eligible voters voted for president56.7% of eligible voters voted for president 60.9% in 1968, 49% in 199660.9% in 1968, 49% in 1996

Cannot voters – 20-21 millionCannot voters – 20-21 million– 10 million resident aliens10 million resident aliens– 5-6 million ill, disabled5-6 million ill, disabled– 500,000 in mental institutions500,000 in mental institutions– 2-3 million traveling unexpectedly 2-3 million traveling unexpectedly – 2 million in jail2 million in jail– 100,000 who do not vote based on religious 100,000 who do not vote based on religious

reasonsreasons

What about everybody else?What about everybody else?

What for? It won’t make any

difference

Everything’s fine.

Why bother?

!@#$% the “system”. I refuse to

participate!

Uggghhh! The line’s too long

and it’s raining…

I don’t know.I don’t care.

80,000,000 votes

idiotidiotfrom the Greek word idiotes:

those who did not vote or take part in civic life

Sociological factors Sociological factors determining whether or how determining whether or how

people votepeople vote

Sociological factors Sociological factors determining whether or how determining whether or how

people votepeople vote1.1. Income, occupationIncome, occupation– Lower income groups vote DemocratLower income groups vote Democrat

2.2. EducationEducation– Higher percentages of college graduates Higher percentages of college graduates

vote Republicanvote Republican

3.3. GenderGender– Before 2004 women more likely to vote Before 2004 women more likely to vote

Democrat.Democrat.

4. Age– Younger people tend to vote DemocratYounger people tend to vote Democrat

Sociological factors of Sociological factors of votingvoting

5. Religion-Republican party recent gains5. Religion-Republican party recent gains– Protestants=RepublicanProtestants=Republican– Catholics & Jews= DemocratCatholics & Jews= Democrat

6. Ethnic Background6. Ethnic Background– African Americans typically vote DemocratAfrican Americans typically vote Democrat– Mexican Americans & Puerto Ricans usually Mexican Americans & Puerto Ricans usually

vote Democratvote Democrat– Cubans usually vote RepublicanCubans usually vote Republican

7. Family7. Family– 9/10 married couples share partisan leanings9/10 married couples share partisan leanings– 2/3 people vote like their parents2/3 people vote like their parents

VotersVoters Straight ticketStraight ticket

– vote the same party in all racesvote the same party in all races

Split-ticketSplit-ticket– split presidential and Congressional and/or state and localsplit presidential and Congressional and/or state and local

IndependentIndependent

Use this website:http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/electi

ons_vr.htm

1. Who is the current California Secretary of State?

2. Who is eligible to vote in California?

3. If you want to vote in the November election, when is the deadline for registration?

4. How do you register to vote?5. When is the California primary?

Why don’t more people vote?

Talk to your partner; prepare 1-2 reasons why people might

choose not to vote.

The Economics of Voting

Highlight author’s thesis and key points. Margin note your questions, connections and reactions to the author’s words.

Prepare to discuss the bulleted questions.

http://electoralmap.net/index.php

Interactive Electoral Map

http://www.electoral-vote.com

History of electoral votes by state

ReferencesReferences McClenaghan, W. (2006). McClenaghan, W. (2006). Magruder’sMagruder’s American American

GovernmentGovernment. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Hart, Diane. (2009). Government Alive!

Power, Politics and You. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute.

http://www.balancedpolitics.org/ideology.htm http://www.edgate.com/elections/inactive/the_parties/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_ideologies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

List_of_political_parties_in_the_United_States#Current_major_parties

http://www.3pc.net/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Political_parties_in_the_United_States