Chapter 6 Voters and Voter Behavior Steve Splan Steven Aurit Sherry Ball Ben Gartland

Section 1 The Right to Vote

History of Voting Extending Suffrage: The Five Stages –extend voting rights came in the early 1800s –broaden the electorate followed the Civil War –19th Amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote because of sex –securing African Americans a role in the electoral process –26th Amendment no State can set minimum age for voting at more than 18

The Power to set Voting Qualifications Five Restrictions on how States use power –people must be allowed to vote for representatives and senators in Congress –cannot deprive a person the right to vote based on race –cannot deprive a person the right to vote based on sex –cannot require payment –cannot deprive a person of 18yrs. to vote

Section 2 Voter Qualifications

Universal Requirements Citizenship –must be a citizen or native-born Residence –States Adopt Residence Requirements to keep a political machine from importing enough outsiders to affect the outcome of local elections to allow new voters at least some time to become familiar with the candidates and issues in an election

Universal Requirements Cont. Age –no state may set the minimum age for voting in any election –a state may set the age at less than 18, if it chooses to do so

Other Qualifications Registration –49 states require all voters to be registered –“Motor Voter Law” allow all eligible citizens to register to vote provide for voter registration make registration forms available at local offices Literacy –no state has a suffrage qualification based on voter literacy

Other Qualification Cont. Tax Payment –payment of taxes used to be a common suffrage qualification Persons Denied the Vote –nearly all states have disqualified those who have been convicted of serious crimes

Section 3 Suffrage and Civil Rights

The Fifteenth Amendment Gerrymandering-the practice of drawing electoral district lines in order to limit the voting strength of a particular group or party

Civil Rights Act of 1964 Injunction- a court order that either compels or restrains the performance of some act by a private individual or by a public official

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 Made the 15th Amendment, at long last, a truly effective part of the Constitution this act applied to all elections held anywhere in this country Voting Act originally to last only five years

Voting Rights Act of 1965 cont. Preclearance –cases show that laws most likely run afoul of preclearance requirements are those that make changes location of polling places boundaries of election districts deadlines in the election process ward or district election to at-large elections qualifications candidates must meet in order to run for office

Section 4 Voter Behavior

Nonvoters Tens of millions vote in all kinds of elections many millions for one reason or another choose not to vote

The Size of the Problem Off-year election: the congressional elections held in the even-numbered years between presidential elections Ballot Fatigue

Why People Do Not Vote Can’t Vote –resident aliens –ill or disabled –traveling –religious beliefs –jail/prison Actual Nonvoters –don’t want to –don’t care

Comparing Nonvoters to Voters Voters Characteristics –high income –education –occupational status –long-time residence –sense of party identification Nonvoters Characteristics –under 35 –unmarried –unskilled –live in south rural areas

Voters and Voting Behavior Studying Voting Behavior –results of particular elections –field of survey research –studies of political socialization

Factors that Influence Voters Age race income occupation education religion

Voter’s group affiliations Family co-workers friends

Sociological Factors Income/Occupation –High Income= Republican Party –Low Income= Democratic Party

Psychological Factors Party Identification: the loyalty of people to a particular political party Straight-ticket Voting: practice of voting for candidates of only one party in an election Split-ticket voting: practice of voting for the candidates of more than one party in an election Independents: used to identify people who have no party affiliation Candidates and Issues