Your Right to Vote BTEOTLIWBAT: Know how to register to vote and some of the current issues surrounding the right to vote. pg. 45 in your notebook

Extra Credit Opportunity! For ten points extra credit in the homework/projects category… You must find an article online or in a newspaper that you haven’t already used. Summarize the article; identify the problem/issue, policy, cause/effect, and policy implication(s); write a 1 paragraph reaction to the article. Will be at least 1 page in length. DUE: April 27 th by 2:30 P.M. Will be included in 12 week grades MUST HAVE COMPLETED running story to take advantage!

How do I register to vote? Visit:

Who can register to vote? To register to vote in California, you must be: A United States citizen, A resident of California, 18 years of age or older on Election Day, Not found by a court to be mentally incompetent, and Not in prison, on parole, serving a state prison sentence in county jail, serving a sentence for a felony pursuant to subdivision (h) of Penal Code section 1170, or on post release community supervision

What do I need to register? What You Will Need To register online you will need Your California driver license or California identification card number, The last four digits of your social security number and Your date of birth. Your information will be provided to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to retrieve a copy of your DMV signature. If you do not have a California driver license or California identification card, you can still use this form to apply to register to vote by completing the online interview by 11:59:59 p.m. Pacific Time on the 15th calendar day before an election.

The Application

Party Affiliation You may choose a political party preference which will allow you to vote in the primary elections for candidates

Can I register by mail? To have a paper application mailed to you call your county elections office or the Secretary of State's toll-free voter hotline at (800) 345-VOTE. Fresno County Elections Office Brandi L. Orth, County Clerk/Registrar of Voters2221 Kern Street Fresno, CA (559) (559) Fax Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Website:

So what’s the debate? Making it Easier to Vote vs. Guarding Against Election Fraud

What is Election Fraud? Examples of Election Fraud Voter Fraud (Illegal Voting) Giving false identity, citizenship, residency, etc., when registering to vote. Voting when not eligible or qualified. Voting in the name of another such as someone who has died or moved. Voting multiple times in an election. Other Types of Election Fraud Registering fictitious persons or those not eligible to vote; paying persons to register. Buying votes. Threatening voters to vote in a certain way or not to vote. Tampering with voting machines. Completing an absentee ballot of a person who did not say how it should be marked. Stuffing ballot boxes with invalid ballots. Changing or destroying valid ballots. Falsely counting or certifying voting results.

Help America Vote Act, 2002 replace old voting machines with modern electronic systems. develop and maintain a centralized voter database. mail-in registrations must present identification when they vote in person for the first time in a federal election For voters who are mistakenly left off registration lists to vote, may cast a "provisional" ballot. Left side of pg. 45, under Channel One

Create the T- Chart in your notebook on the right side of 45 Republican Views Write down bullet points the views of the republicans Democratic Views Write down bullet points on the views of the democrats 1.What do you think is more important: making it easier to vote or guarding against election fraud? Why? 2.Why do you think Republicans and Democrats differ over the election fraud issue? Answer: How common is Election Fraud?

Activity Imagine that your group is a subcommittee of the state legislature. Discuss your assigned policy and decide whether to support, oppose, or change its policy. On a separate sheet of paper (1 per group) –Write your assigned policy –Write your decision –Defend your decision with arguments based on information from the article.

How did you decide? 1.An individual must submit copies of documents showing proof of American citizenship and current residency when registering to vote in person or by mail. 2.An individual who is not a registered voter may register at a polling place on Election Day and cast a ballot. 3.Voter registration drives by political parties will not be permitted in hospitals, public housing projects, public universities, and nursing homes for the elderly.

How did you decide? 4.To vote in person, a voter must present one of the following forms of identification: state driver’s license photo ID, current U.S. passport photo ID, food stamp card photo ID, employer-issued photo ID, student photo ID, bank statement, utility bill, paycheck stub, Social Security or Medicare card. 5.An individual who votes with an absentee ballot must have it notarized with a photo ID before mailing it to election officials to be counted. 6.Voting will be entirely by mail during a two-week period.

Rock the Vote – Citizen Action voting-age-to-16-/560935/ Do you think the voting age should be lowered to age 16? Why or why not?

Citizen Action Campaign BRING CHARGED TABLETS FOR A WEBQUEST NEXT CLASS!!!!!!! Over the next few weeks you/your group will develop a campaign on a current issue and take steps to solve or bring about awareness. You will create a civic action portfolio with a presentation highlighting the steps you took and the results of your actions. There will be check points over the course of the campaign where we will give you the handouts and they will be stored in a folder for you/your group in class once they are completed. The checkpoints, portfolio, and presentation combine to 180 points which is about 20% of your final grade.