Voting -a basic constitutional right

May vote to elect officials to represent you (President, Governor, Senators, etc.) May vote on proposed laws, however, most laws are enacted by the legislature acting on your behalf

Initiatives and Referendum Allow citizens to circulate petitions to put proposed laws on the ballot Initiative allows a specific number of voters to propose law by petition; submitted to the electorate or legislature Referendum- legislative act is put on ballot for final approval or rejection by voters Examples: gay rights, abortion, gun control

Arguments for Initiative & Referendum Promote direct involvement in the lawmaking process Reflects the true will of the people

Arguments against Direct voting on laws will sometimes result in the majority voting taking away the rights of the minority

Laws that have been proposed though the initiative process Right to vote for women 8 hour workday for government employees Term limits for elected officials Campaign finance reforms Environmental protection Laws related to affirmative action

The United States is essentially a REPUBLIC because voters elect representatives to vote on laws rather than voting directly on them Some form of direct voting exists in 24 states

Recall Elections Allows the voters, by election, to remove elected officials from office Example: Governor of CA

Voter Registration Must be a US citizen Must be at least 18 years old Must be a resident of the place where registering May register by mail, in person, or by drivers license May only register in one place to vote

Voter Discrimination Black males were not allowed to vote until 1870 (15 th Amendment) Prior to 1870, most states only allowed white males that owned property Women gained the right in 1920 (19 th Amendment)

Native Americans could not vote until Congress granted them full citizenship in 1924 Until 1965, some states had poll taxes, literacy tests, and character exams th Amendment- 18 year olds may vote In some states, convicted criminals (of serious crimes) loose the right to vote- some states allow them to regain the right after they have completed their sentences and 5 years has passed

A fair election requires that voters have access to information about the candidates, issues, and the details of the voting process The presidential election voter turnout for the past few decades has fallen from 62% in the 1960s to 51% in 2000