Part 1: Voting & Elections

Voting Rights History The Constitution purposely left the power to set suffrage qualifications to each State. Suffrage & Franchise means the right to vote. The electorate is all of the people entitled to vote. Initially, suffrage was limited to white male property owners. Today, the American electorate is over 200 million. - Nearly all citizens at least 18 years old can qualify to vote.

Extending Suffrage The 5 Stages of Suffrage Expansion: 1. Early 1800s: religious, property, and tax payment qualifications gradually eliminated. 2. 1870: 15th Amendment intended to end race-based voting requirements. 3. 1920: 19th Amendment extends suffrage to women. 4. 1960s: ‘65: Voting Rights Act guaranteed minorities’ right to vote. ’64: 24th Amendment eliminated the poll tax. 5. 1971: 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.

Voter Qualifications Constitution sets limits on States’ voter qualifications: restrict voting based on race require payment deprive women of right to vote deprive those at least 18 years old of right to vote The States Cannot…

Universal Requirements 3 Voter Eligibility Requirements Citizenship Most States require US citizenship Residence Most States require residency for minimum amounts of time Colorado = 22 days before election! Age 26th Amendment requires that no State set a minimum voting age above 18.

Other Qualifications All states except North Dakota require citizens to register to vote. Registration is a procedure of voter ID intended to prevent fraud. States also restrict certain members of the population, such as those mentally incompetent or convicted of serious crimes (aka felons).

Political Participation and Awareness in America

Nonvoters Only 64 %of eligible voters cast ballots in the 2004 presidential election. Voter turnout significantly decreases in off-year elections, congressional elections held in years without a presidential election. 46% in 2006

Initiative Process Colorado (and 28 other states) allow any state citizen to propose a new law, or even a new amendment to the Colorado constitution Voters then vote to pass the law/amendment (or not pass it) These are called ballot measures, or initiatives

Getting a ballot measure on the Colorado ballot 1. Check the language: State officials review to make sure the language of the proposed law is clear. 2. Estimate the fiscal impact (How much will it cost?) 3. Collect at least 86,105 signatures (5% of people who voted in previous election) 4. Signature verification: the state checks these 5. Gets on ballot 6. Colorado voters vote on election day, need majority to pass

Part II: Why People Do Not Vote “Cannot” nonvoters: physical or mental illness unexpected travel resident alien citizenship status “Will not” nonvoters voting is inconvenient, “vote doesn’t count” distrust politics and political candidates

Voters and Voting Behavior We learn about voting behavior from: The results of elections—studying the results of voting compared to the population make-up of a particular sector The field of survey research— conducting polls across specific cross sections of the population Studies of political socialization—studying political socialization, the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

Sociological Factors “Society’s Influence” Voter opinion is a combination of all of these factors and more.

Psychological Factors Party Identification The loyalty of people to a party is the most significant and lasting predictor of how they vote. Candidates and Issues Candidates and issues are two short-term factors that can influence even the most loyal Democrat or Republican.