Chapter 5

 Explain why voting is important to a democratic society.  Discuss types of campaign resources, efforts to restrict the power of money in campaigns and the issue of negative campaigning.  Describe the types of public elections held in Texas.  Describe voting trends in Texas during the last two decades and explain the significance. 2

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 Most basic element—the people voting for elected representatives  Ideal—candidates debate policy; voters decide based on that debate  “Bad” democracies - candidates debate trivia, pay attention to special interests.  Discussion: Is Texas close to or far from the democratic ideal of campaigns and elections? 4

 Civic duty  Despite the fact one vote rarely matters  Voters elect candidates  Voting decreases alienation  Voting affects public policy  Voting helps prevent corruption 5

 At time of U.S. Constitution, suffrage determined by states  14 th and 15th Amendments: to give political rights to former slaves  19 th Amendment—women could vote  26 th Amendment—lowered age to 18 6

 Rules established to distinguish qualified voters from ineligible  Former Confederate states enacted laws to limit registration and voting  Literacy tests, etc.  24 th Amendment outlawed poll tax 7

 Suffrage “nationalized”  Voting Rights Act  Texas’s stringent election laws struck down by Supreme Court  Legislature passed new regulations 8

 Voter ID laws proposed in several sessions  Passed in 2011  Discussion: how might voter ID bills be intended to weaken the Democratic Party in Texas? 9

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 Initially, voter can register in person or by mail  Registration permanent as long as voter qualified  Voters can register at any time, and vote if registered at least 30 days prior to the election  Be a U.S. citizen and 18 by election day  Resident of state and county for 30 days prior to election  Not be a convicted felon, or if convicted, have finished one’s sentence 11

 Proportion of adult citizens who vote  Texas turnout generally lower than national average  Even lower for state, local offices  Discussion: why do local offices receive such low voter turnout? 12

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 Texas is a poor state  17%+ in poverty  poor and less educated tend not to vote  Minorities tend to vote at lower rates than Anglos  Political Culture  Discussion: how does Texas’s political culture contribute to low voter turnout? 14

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 Anglos tend to determine  Election results  Policy—since Anglos generally more conservative, policy more conservative  Discussion: how does this impact the party realignment theory in Chapter 4?  Discussion: how does this impact education and health policy? 16

 Student voting turnout generally low  Request a registration form from the Texas Secretary of State’s office  Polling places generally listed in newspapers before election day 17

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 People—professionals and volunteers  Money  Financial share = vote share  U.S. does not have publicly funded campaigns, except at presidential level 20

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 Most from wealthy donors representing a special interest  Skews public policy  Many retired politicians favor public funding  Discussion: should Texas have publicly funded campaigns? 22

 1971—Revenue Act (federal)  1972—Federal Election Campaign Act (federal)  1973—Texas Campaign Reporting and Disclosure Act  No enforcement provision 23

 1991 Texas Ethics Law  Created Ethics Commission  Still no limits on campaign contributions  Hard vs. Soft $  1976: Buckley v. Valeo  Made some of its limits, as well as limits on Texas’s 1973 law, unconstitutional 24

25 Cartoonist Ben Sargent points out that there is more than one way to corrupt democratic government. Courtesy of Ben Sargent.

 Corrosive effect on democracy  Elections affected by inaccurate or irrelevant charges  Limits discussion on public policy  Dissuades candidates—may choose not to run to avoid being a target  Disheartens citizens—may choose not to vote 26

 Primaries—nominate party candidates for general election  2 nd Tuesday in March in even-numbered years  Political parties that received more than 20% of vote in most recent governor’s election must participate  Candidates must win by majority vote 27

 Blanket Primary  Open Primary  Closed Primary  In Texas, voters may participate in either primary  Once you have voted, you can only participate in that party’s runoff election and convention 28

 In non-presidential years, Texas may hold primary in May  Primary elections administered by the parties in cooperation with county officials  Primary expense paid for by filing fees and the state 29

 Held in Nov. of even-numbered years  on the Tuesday after the first Monday  Governors elected in “off year”  Responsibility of state  Secretary of State—main election officer  Counties – handle election process 30

 Primary winners automatically on ballot  Independent candidates, new parties  Must present petitions with signatures of qualified voters  Discussion: should it be easier to get on the ballot?  Ballot style—determined by counties 31

 Mayors and city councils  nonpartisan  Special elections  To fill vacant positions  Votes on constitutional amendments  Absentee or early voting 32

 Some counties began using eSlate technology in 2002  Elections in 2002 and 2004— glitches and mistakes, as well as charges of vote tampering  Some researchers concerned with fraud potential,  No physical ballot produced 33

 1994 elections—political realignment favoring Republicans  Most significant gains in judiciary  Republicans have won all statewide elections since 1994  Governor’s election in 2002 one of sleaziest on record 34

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 Nationally—“throw the Republican rascals out” election  Texas—did elect Republicans to all statewide offices  Some Democratic gains at local level  Negative and misleading campaigning continued 36

 Nationally—return to power for Democrats  Texas—Republicans continued as majority party  Some Democratic increases in judiciary, state House of Representatives, local level 37

 Nationally—gains for Republicans  U.S. & Texas House of Representatives  Texas—re-election of Governor Rick Perry, gains in Texas House  Discussion: what role did national politics and policy play in Texas elections? What role did voter turnout play? 38