Voters and Voters and Voter BehaviorVoter Behavior

Chapter 6Chapter 6

Are YOU RegisteredAre YOU Registered to Vote? to Vote?

Section 1:Section 1:The Right to VoteThe Right to Vote

All US citizens may register to vote at All US citizens may register to vote at the age of 18the age of 18

History of Voting RightsHistory of Voting Rights

The Framers left voting requirements The Framers left voting requirements up to the states.up to the states.The federal requirements are only the The federal requirements are only the minimumminimum

For example, Amendment 26 lowered For example, Amendment 26 lowered the voting age to 18, but states could the voting age to 18, but states could lower it further.lower it further.

When the Constitution was written, When the Constitution was written, only land-holding, white men could only land-holding, white men could vote.vote.

Some individual states allowed Some individual states allowed women to vote in local electionswomen to vote in local elections

Expansion of the ElectorateExpansion of the ElectorateIn Puritan New England, only Church In Puritan New England, only Church members were eligible to votemembers were eligible to vote By 1810, there were no religious qualifications By 1810, there were no religious qualifications

anywhere in America.anywhere in America.

After the Civil War, the 15After the Civil War, the 15thth Amendment was ratified in 1870 which Amendment was ratified in 1870 which was supposed to allow Black males to was supposed to allow Black males to vote, regardless of previous condition vote, regardless of previous condition of servitude.of servitude. Literacy tests and poll taxes disenfranchised Literacy tests and poll taxes disenfranchised

themthem

The 19The 19thth Amendment, passed in 1920, Amendment, passed in 1920, gave all adults, including women, could gave all adults, including women, could vote.vote.The Civil Rights Act of 1965 prohibited The Civil Rights Act of 1965 prohibited poll taxes so that Blacks could vote poll taxes so that Blacks could vote freely.freely.In 1961, the 23In 1961, the 23rdrd Amendment allowed Amendment allowed residents of D.C. to vote for presidentresidents of D.C. to vote for presidentThe 24The 24thth Amendment, ratified in 1964, Amendment, ratified in 1964, eliminated poll taxeseliminated poll taxesThe 26The 26thth Amendment gave 18-20 year Amendment gave 18-20 year olds the right to vote.olds the right to vote.

Section 2:Section 2:Voting QualificationsVoting Qualifications

States must allow all people to vote States must allow all people to vote who meet the minimum who meet the minimum requirements set by the federal requirements set by the federal government.government. Citizenship – USCitizenship – US Residence - of the state in state/local Residence - of the state in state/local

electionselections Age – 18 and olderAge – 18 and older

Every state except ND requires voters to Every state except ND requires voters to register.register.

Registration forms are on the internetRegistration forms are on the internet

In Tennessee, you must be 18 to registerIn Tennessee, you must be 18 to register

If a person does not vote for several If a person does not vote for several elections, the rolls are purged and the elections, the rolls are purged and the person’s name is removed.person’s name is removed.

Who Do You Vote For?Who Do You Vote For?

Once a person is registered they can Once a person is registered they can vote in federal, state and local electionsvote in federal, state and local elections

There are many ways to get information There are many ways to get information about the people running for office and about the people running for office and new laws being voted for.new laws being voted for.

Most people get their knowledge from Most people get their knowledge from TVTV

TV ads are bought by the candidate or TV ads are bought by the candidate or the group favoring a particular person the group favoring a particular person or cause.or cause.

They only tell the positive side of their They only tell the positive side of their side and the negative side of the side and the negative side of the oppositionopposition

Literacy Tests & Poll TaxesLiteracy Tests & Poll TaxesReading tests Reading tests were given to were given to people (Indians people (Indians and Blacks) that and Blacks) that the people in the people in power did not power did not want to votewant to votecollege college professors could professors could not pass itnot pass it

Another way people Another way people were disenfranchised were disenfranchised was to impose poll was to impose poll taxes.taxes.

If a voter could not If a voter could not afford the tax they afford the tax they did not vote but the did not vote but the unpaid tax would be unpaid tax would be added onto future added onto future poll taxespoll taxes

Disenfranchisement TodayDisenfranchisement Today

In the 2000 and 2004 presidential In the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, voters complained that elections, voters complained that they were turned awaythey were turned away

Some in Florida had their names Some in Florida had their names incorrectly removed from the poll incorrectly removed from the poll books. They did not get to vote.books. They did not get to vote.

Section 3:Section 3:Suffrage & Civil RightsSuffrage & Civil Rights

1515thth Amendment gives Amendment gives black males the right to black males the right to votevote

Many were kept away by Many were kept away by terror tactics, poll taxes, terror tactics, poll taxes, gerrymandering, and gerrymandering, and literacy testsliteracy tests

GerrymanderingGerrymandering

Named after Named after Elbridge Gerry after Elbridge Gerry after he drew a district in he drew a district in MA to ensure his MA to ensure his associates would associates would win elections.win elections.

Civil Rights Act 1964Civil Rights Act 1964

Initiated by JFK and passed by LBJ, Initiated by JFK and passed by LBJ, this act prevents discrimination not this act prevents discrimination not only with voting, but with employment, only with voting, but with employment, housing, admissions, and other areas housing, admissions, and other areas with racial barriers.with racial barriers.

Voting Rights Act of 1965Voting Rights Act of 1965

Applied to all elections, local, state and Applied to all elections, local, state and federalfederalOutlawed poll taxes and literacy testsOutlawed poll taxes and literacy testsNo new state election laws could go No new state election laws could go into effect before preclearance by the into effect before preclearance by the Dept. of JusticeDept. of JusticeMost of the laws that have gone Most of the laws that have gone through the preclearance process have through the preclearance process have to do with moving polling places or to do with moving polling places or with deadlines.with deadlines.

Section 4:Section 4:Voter BehaviorVoter Behavior

In ancient Greece, citizens who did not In ancient Greece, citizens who did not vote were called vote were called idiotesidiotesCannot vote – physically or mentally ill, Cannot vote – physically or mentally ill, religious beliefsreligious beliefsDon’t want to – for a lot of reasons, not Don’t want to – for a lot of reasons, not believing their vote makes a differencebelieving their vote makes a differencePoll closing times – 3-5 hrs earlier in Poll closing times – 3-5 hrs earlier in east with results posted earlyeast with results posted early

Voters v. Non votersVoters v. Non voters

A typical voter:A typical voter: Higher incomeHigher income Higher Higher

educationeducation Better Better

occupational occupational statusstatus

Long time Long time residentsresidents

Party Party identificationidentification

femalefemale

A typical non-voter:A typical non-voter: Younger than 35Younger than 35 UnmarriedUnmarried UnskilledUnskilled Lives in Lives in

south/rural areasouth/rural area malemale

How People VoteHow People Vote

Psychological factors that can Psychological factors that can determine who a person votes for determine who a person votes for include:include: Voter’s characteristics – age, sex, Voter’s characteristics – age, sex,

education, religion, incomeeducation, religion, income Voter’s affiliations – work, friends, Voter’s affiliations – work, friends,

familiesfamilies

Sociological factors that can determine Sociological factors that can determine who a person votes for include:who a person votes for include:

Democrat Democrat RepublicanRepublican lower incomes higherlower incomes higher lower education higherlower education higher younger women older malesyounger women older males Catholics and Jews ProtestantCatholics and Jews Protestant Non-whites whiteNon-whites white CA, NY, MA TX, KS, ND CA, NY, MA TX, KS, ND

and Bible Beltand Bible Belt

How People VoteHow People VoteThese are generalizations only and These are generalizations only and different issues sway votersdifferent issues sway votersHow much a person feels loyalty to How much a person feels loyalty to their party, party identification, is a their party, party identification, is a good predictor of how a person will good predictor of how a person will vote.vote.Some people vote for their party, Some people vote for their party, regardless of the person running for regardless of the person running for office.office.Straight-ticket voting relates to party Straight-ticket voting relates to party affiliation.affiliation.

Some people, split-ticket voters, vote for Some people, split-ticket voters, vote for candidates, regardless of political partycandidates, regardless of political partyThis practice has become more common This practice has become more common since the 1960s.since the 1960s.Independent voters are likely to do this Independent voters are likely to do this since they do not belong to a partysince they do not belong to a partyIn the past, independent voters were In the past, independent voters were generally less informed about the generally less informed about the candidates or issues.candidates or issues.This is not true with new independent This is not true with new independent voters who tend to be better educated voters who tend to be better educated and have higher incomesand have higher incomes

p. 150p. 150

1. Gradual elimination of restrictions on the right to vote and federal gov’t has taken over right to vote powers

2. Religious gone, blacks, women, Civil Rights for blacks, 18 year olds

3. the voter

4. States can’t restrict what elections you vote in, 15th, 19th, 24, and 26th

5. Fight for my country

6. Voting is of national importance and states had a bad track record

p. 157p. 157

1. To stop voter fraud

2. Register to vote when getting a DL, increase voter rolls

3. To know who is eligible to vote, remove people who are not (dead, prison,…

4. Must pay it to vote

5. …….

6. If your male ancestors voted before the civil war, you were exempt from literacy tests and poll taxes. Of course this was never the case for AA

p. 163p. 163

1.Drawing districts to limit voting strength of a group, White primary excluded blacks

2. Compels or restrains a public official from and act.

3. Approval by justice department to change a voting law. State must show no discrimination in voting for ten years to bail-out

4. Civil Rights Act (1964), Voting Rights act(1965), all used to strengthen voting rights for minorities

5. People still did not care about black rights, two men murdered

6. White legislators made it harder to pass voting laws to help minorities

p. 172p. 172

1. If you don’t feel like you make a difference, you won’t vote

2. Men and women vote differently

3. People who strongly identify with their party generally vote straight ticket

4. Income, occupation, education, gender, age, religion, ethnic, geography, family

5. ……..

6. ……..