Chapter 9 Voting and Elections

Objectives Students will know: Importance of voting and the process for doing so American political system has different types of elections How political campaigns are financed The role of the Electoral College in selecting the president

Lesson 1 Who can Vote? Pg 268 Qualifying to Vote Throughout history, MOST people have not had the chance to choose leaders Kings, Queens, Dictators Today in US, citizens 18 years of age and older have the right to vote Voting is at the core of our citizenship

Expanding Suffrage “All men are created equal” is a principle we continue to strive to fully achieve throughout history Suffrage has been limited to small groups of people in the past Over time, the right to vote has been expanded to include more and more citizens See table on page 271

—U.S. Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment Who Is Eligible to Vote? You can vote if you are: a citizen of the United States. age 18 or older. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” —U.S. Constitution, Fourteenth Amendment

Suffrage: The right to vote Register – To officially record your identity as a voter. Must be updated if you move your residence, change your name, change your party Polling place – location in your neighborhood where you vote

Steps in the voting Process Register to Vote - To officially record your identity as a voter. Must be updated if you move your residence, change your name, change your party

Preparing to Vote After you register… Know your polling place Know the issues, not just the headlines, or slogans Know where you stand on the issues Know the candidates and where they stand on the issues

Know the Ballot (list of candidates according to offices they seek)

Casting your vote Confirm the date of the election Early or Absentee ballot? Type of ballot ( electronic, paper, punch card, mechanical machine)

Reasons to Vote Our turn to select leaders in government Our turn to show dissatisfaction with our elected officials, or our approval

Understanding Voter Participation Voter turnout rate – percentage of registered voters who actually vote Apathy – lack of interest. “My vote doesn’t count” attitude

Voter turnout low throughout Luzerne County Published: November 6, 2013 Turnout was low in Tuesday's general election in Luzerne County, as only 25.3 percent of registered voters went to the polls. Election statistics indicate 49,341 of the county's 194,996 registered voters cast ballots.

Consider… How many people in Luzerne County are legal citizens and 18 years old, yet, NOT registered? In order to be eligible to vote, you must be registered

Wilkes-Barre City's Ward 8 had the lowest voter turnout in the county with an abysmal 8.5 percent. Six voting precincts in the city were among the 10 voting wards with the lowest voter turnout in the county.

The tiny boroughs of Bear Creek Village, Jeddo, Penn Lake Park and Nuangola, which have small populations, led the county with the highest turnout figures, all above 49 percent.

Despite Tuesday's low turnout, it was better than the primary election when only 19.8 percent of voters hit the polls.

Lesson 1 Review pg275 1. What is suffrage? Suffrage is the right to vote

2. How is apathy related to voter turnout rate? Apathy, or a lack of interest in government, will lead to a low voter turnout rate.

3. What are the two basic qualifications to vote in the United States? The two basic qualifications for voting in the United States are being age 18 or older and having citizenship.

4. If you were a voter, what would you do to become informed before an election? Reading newspapers, watching debates, reviewing web sites, attending speaking engagements and so on.

5. How does voting affect society? Voting gives people a voice in how their community, state, and country are run.