Voting Trends

Warm Up In a few sentences, describe the message of this political cartoon.

Nonvoters Some don’t vote for all of the positions listed on a ballot (called voter fatigue) The most votes are cast for positions that are more well-known such as President, Senator, or Governor Off-year elections tend to have lower turnout Many Americans don’t think that their vote has any real impact on what government does or does not do (this is false)

This graph is based on the U. S. population aged 18 and over This graph is based on the U.S. population aged 18 and over. What can you conclude about voter turnout in presidential as opposed to off-year elections from this graph?

Why People Do Not Vote Citizens who are in jail or prison, or on parole or probation are not allowed to vote Noncitizens cannot vote, whether they are documented or undocumented In 2012, 74 million Americans who could have voted in the presidential election did not

Influences on Voter Behavior Sociological Factors - Income, occupation, education, gender, age, religion, ethnic background, geography, family, friends, group affiliations. Psychological Factors - Party identification, candidates, the issues, personal life experiences.

Influences on Voter Behavior Most voters who have higher incomes tend to vote for Republicans Most voters who have lower incomes and live in urban areas tend to vote for Democrats Younger voters tend to be more liberal, while older voters tend to be more conservative

This exit poll categorizes voters based on income and education This exit poll categorizes voters based on income and education. According to the text, did the actual vote reflect this preliminary data? Explain.

This chart compares voter behavior in 2008 and 2012 based on religious affiliation and race. How did religion and race influence voter choice in these two elections?

Influences on Voter Behavior Muslims and Jews tend to vote for Democrats Latinos Cuban Americans, especially older ones, tend to vote for Republicans Mexican and Puerto Rican Americans tend to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats

Geographical Patterns Voters in the big cities of the North and East and on the Pacific Coast tend to support Democrats Voters in smaller cities, rural areas, the Great Plains, and the South are likely to support Republicans Suburban communities tend to be highly competitive

Voters in urban areas tend to vote Democratic, even in States like Texas that vote overwhelmingly Republican. What factors might influence urban versus rural voting patterns?

Shifts in Voting Patterns Southern states such as North Carolina and Arizona are becoming more competitive College-educated whites don’t support Republicans as much as they used to The Sunbelt region is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse due to the New Great Migration and immigration, especially from Asia and Latin America Rural areas are becoming less populated, giving them less political power at the ballot box