VOTING BEHAVIOR

Ch. 6

Section 1: The Right To Vote

• What does SUFFRAGE mean?

Section 1: The Right To Vote

• Who is the ELECTORATE?

Section 1: The Right To Vote

• Why is voting a POLITICAL right, and not a CIVIL right?

VOTING AMENDMENTS

• 1870: 15th Gave the vote to…

• 1920: 19th Gave the vote to…

• 1961: 23rd Gave the vote to…

• 1964: 24th Eliminated the _____ tax in federal elections.

• 1971: 26th Lowered the minimum voting age from ____ to ____.

African-Americans

WomenPeople living in D.C. for the Electoral College

poll

21 18

What level of government is responsible for setting voting

qualifications?

• The States!

What were some early voting qualifications in the late 1700’s and

early 1800’s?• Male

• White

• Protestant

• Property Owners

• Born in colonies/states.

Section 2: Voter Qualifications

• What 3 absolute qualifications in order to vote, do all states require?

• Citizenship: must be a U.S. citizen.

• Residency: most states require 30 days.

• Age: Must be at least 18 years old.

Section 2: Voter Qualifications

• What is another qualification imposed by 49 states?

• Registration

• I knew you were going to ask!

• North Dakota

• Registration is permanent until you move, die, are convicted of a felony, put in a mental institution, or fail to vote in 2 consecutive presidential elections. (Harris County purges the rolls every 4 years.)

Texas Voter

Registration Card

Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008)

• Facts of the Case• In 2005, the Indiana Legislature passed a law requiring all voters who

cast a ballot in person to present a photo ID issued by the United States or the State of Indiana. Plaintiffs including the local Democratic Party and interest groups representing minority and elderly citizens argued that the law constituted an undue burden on the right to vote. At trial, the plaintiffs did not produce any witnesses who claimed they would be unable to meet the law’s requirements. The district court and the court of appeals both upheld the law. However, the three-judge appellate panel was deeply divided. Dissenting Judge Terrence Evans claimed that the law was a thinly-veiled attempt to dampen turnout by those likely to vote for Democratic candidates.

• Question• Does a law that requires voters to present either a state or federal

photo identification unduly burden citizens’ right to vote?

Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008)

• Conclusion• By a vote of 6 to 3, the Court upheld the law, concluding

that the photo I.D. requirement was closely related to Indiana's legitimate state interests in preventing voter fraud. The slight burden the law imposed on voters' rights did not outweigh these interests, which the Court characterized as "neutral and nondiscriminatory." Although there was no majority opinion, the Court's decision included concurring opinions written by Justices John Paul Stevens and Antonin Scalia. Justices David Souter and Stephen Breyer each wrote dissenting opinions. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined Justice Souter's dissent.

http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2007/2007_07_21/

2008: Supreme Court Decision

Texas Legislature tried to pass a similar law in 2007.VOTER ID: A GOP-backed bill won in the House, but was quashed in the Senate. The bill would have required voters to present photo identification to be able to vote to prevent voter fraud.

•A Bill has been filed to try again. (The state legislature is currently meeting until May.)

Voter Qualifications and Laws used to discriminate against Blacks, Hispanics, and

poor whites.• Literacy Tests

– Must show an ability to read & write.– Eliminated by the VRA 1970.

• Poll Tax– Special tax to vote.– Eliminated by the 24th Amd. in 1964.

• Grandfather Clause– Allowed men to register to vote ONLY IF they could have voted

in 1867 (before Af-Am. were allowed to vote in the S.), or you

were a decedent from a 1867 voter.– Eliminated in 1915, by a SCt decision upholding the 15th Amd.

What is GERRYMANDERING?

• How does it apply to voting?

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS & VOTING

CRAs OF 1957 & 1960

57: Set up U.S. CR Commission

60: Provided for the appointment of federal referees.

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS & VOTING

CRA OF 1964

64: Forbids the use of voter reg. or lit. reqs. in an unfair or disc.

manner.

X

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS & VOTING

VRA OF 1965

65: Made the 15th Amd. truly effective.

Applied it to ALL elections. Required

preclearance of changes or new voting

laws by the DOJ.

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS & VOTING

VRA: 1970 AMD.

Extended the VRA for 5 years. No

state could use lit. tests as a voting

req.

VRA: 1975 AMD.

Extended the VRA for 7 years. 5 yr. Ban on

lit. test was now permanent.

CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS & VOTING

VRA: 1982 AMD.

Extended the basic features of the

VRA for 25 years.

VRA: 2006 AMD.

Extended the VRA for another 25 years.

Why did Congress pass these laws?

STOP! VRA Supreme Court case Reading!

What role did MLK, Jr. play in the passage of the 1965 CRA/VRA?

Section 4: Voter Behavior• Study the Chart on p. 165 and answer:

• Why did the overall size of the voting population increase dramatically between 1970 & 1972?

• What percentage of the population that was eligible to vote in 2000, cast votes for Pres.?

• What percentage of the population that was eligible to vote in 2000, cast votes for U.S. Rep.?

• Why the difference if both races on the same ballot?

• Look at the percentage of people who cast a vote for U.S. Rep. in the years 1998 & 2000. Why is there such a difference?

Section 4: Voter Behavior

• CANNOT VOTERS:

• Resident Aliens

• Ill

• Traveling

• Mental health issues

• Incarcerated

• Religious beliefs

                             

Section 4: Voter Behavior

• CHOOSE NOT TO VOTERS:

• Believe their vote won’t make a difference

• Distrust politicians

• Lack of political efficacy

• Cumbersome election procedures

• Election Day is a work day

• Time-zone fallout

• Lack of interest/apathy/civic duty has declined

• Weather Issues

                             

Your vote won’t make a difference, huh?

Your vote won’t make a difference, huh?

• Just remember that George W. Bush won the 2000 presidential election by only 537 votes out of millions cast!

» 537 more votes than Gore in FL.

http://cagle.com/caglecards/main.asp?image=/news/SuperTuesday08/images/parker7.jpg

States are trying to fix the problem of cumbersome votingprocedures.

Why would people take the effort to register…

and then not vote???

Texas ACTUAL Voters in 2008:

8,086,684

Texas REGISTERED Voters:

11,677,018

Can the U.S. make voting compulsory. Why or why not?

• NO! We are a democracy!

What does POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION mean?

• Ways in which you obtain your political views.

SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS

• Income, Occupation

• Education

• Gender, Age

• Religion, Ethnic Background

• Geography

• Family & other groups

Which is the most influential?

Family & other groups

Voter Turnout in Pres. ElectionsPresidential Year Percent

1960 63.1

1964 61.9

1968 60.8

1972 55.2

1976 53.6

1980 52.6

1984 53.1

1988 50.1

1992 55.1

1996 49.1

2000 51.3

2004 55.3

2008 61.7 Highest since 1964!

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS

• Party Identification

• Candidates & Issues

Who is more likely to vote…

• Democrat?• Middle/lower income• Less education• Manual labor• Women/younger• Catholics/Jews• Minorities• NE states/inner cities

• Republican?• Higher income• More education• Professional• Men/older• Protestants• Whites• South/Midwest/rural/ suburban

2008 EC Map

2008 Presidential ElectionObama v. McCain 2008 Shifts

Priorities of Voters

1940’s 1980’s 2000’s

Political Party Issues

Group Affiliations Candidate

Candidate Group Affiliations

Issues Political Party

Priorities of Voters

1940’s 1980’s 2000’s

Political Party Issues Candidate

Group Affiliations Candidate Issues

Candidate Group Affiliations Political Party

Issues Political Party Group Affiliations

How Can Voter Turnout Be Increased?

• Registration could be simpler.• Make election day a national holiday.• Develop a phone-in or internet system

for voting.• Provide transportation to the polls.• Income tax deduction for voters.

Should we care if lots of

people DON’T vote?

• Is it a problem?

Why do so few 18-24 year olds vote?

• More focused on personal issues.

• Don’t quite “get it”—how government effects their lives.

How can we increase the number of younger voters?

• MTV=Choose or Loose

• Musicians= Rock the Vote

• WWE=Smack Down Your Vote

• Myspace.com• Facebook.com• YouTube.com