1. Chapter 10 Elections and Voting Behavior

2. How American Elections Work Three types of elections: Primary Elections- Select party nominees General Election- Select officeholders Select options on specific policies Referendum: where legislatures refer measures to the voters for approval or where voters can approve or repeal an act of the legislature Ex: Ohio’s Union Rights Referendum SB #5 Initiative petition: given a sufficient # of signatures, voters may put proposed on the ballot and bypass the legislature “ballot measure” or “proposition” Ex: California’s Prop 8

4. Whether to Vote: A Citizen’s First Choice Deciding Whether to Vote U.S. has low voter turnout Downs: it is rational to not vote Those who see clear differences between parties are likely to vote. If indifferent, then one may rationally abstain from voting. Political Efficacy: the belief that one’s political participation really matters Civic Duty: the belief that in order to support democratic government, a citizen should always vote

5. Past Voting Barriers Religious beliefs, property ownership, tax payments, race, gender Literacy- person’s ability to read and write Poll tax-payment required by some states before a person could vote Gerrymandering-practice of drawing electoral districts to limit the voting strength of a particular group; districts CAN BE drawn based on politics but can’t be drawn to dilute a minority groups voting power.

6. The Elimination of Voting Barriers Suffrage- the legal right to vote 15 th, 19 th, 24 th, & 26 th Amendments Voting Rights Act of 1965

7. Preparing for Election Day Registering To Vote Voter Registration: a system adopted by the states that requires voters to register well in advance of the election day Registration procedures differ by state. Motor Voter Act: passed in 1993, requires states to permit people to register to vote when they apply for their driver’s license Other Qualifications Must be at least 18, Citizenship, Residency People can lose their voting rights for example: felons

8. 2012 States with Voter ID Laws PA: ID not required for 2012 election

9. Casting a ballot Options differ State to State: Absentee by mail Absentee in-person voting Early Voting Voting on election day Examples: -Vote by Mail only: Oregon & Washington -During early voting period: Ohio and NC allow registration & voting on the same day

10. Election Day Election Day-first Tuesday after the first Monday in November Precinct- voting district Polling place- where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote Ballot-a device in which a voter registers a choice in an election Ex: punch card, optical scan (bubble sheet), and electronic direct record voting (touch screen)

11. Voter Turnout Who Votes? More education = more likely to vote. Most important factor Older = more likely to vote Caucasian = more likely to vote. BUT, other ethnicities are higher with comparable education Female = more likely to vote Married = more likely to vote Union member = more likely to vote

13. How Americans Vote: Party Identification Policy Voting Basing your vote choice on issue preferences and where the candidates stand on policy issues For the common good vs. vote their “pocketbook” How Americans See the Candidates Candidates want a good visual image. Especially on dimensions of integrity, reliability, and competence Personality plays a role in vote choice, especially if a candidate is perceived to be incompetent or dishonest. “Likeability”

14. Understanding Elections and Voting Behavior Democracy and Elections The greater the policy differences between candidates, the more likely voters will be able to steer government policy by their choices. Unlikely—candidates do not always clarify issues positions Candidates who vow to continue popular policies are more likely to win elections. Retrospective voting: voters cast a vote based on what a candidate has done for them lately Those who feel worse off are likely to vote against incumbents. Bad economies make politicians nervous.

16. Electing the President/VP: Why we use the Electoral College Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution establishes the Electoral College Founders wanted Pres. chosen by the elite of the country Citizens do not directly elect Pres./VP, they elect a statewide slate of electors Small states can play a significant role in the outcome therefore raising their profile in the campaign

17. Disadvantages to the Electoral College A candidate can win the national popular vote and not become the President (Gore 2000) Democrats in “Red” States or Republicans in “Blue” States may feel disenfranchised The swing states become the only focus and end up determining the winner

18. The Electoral College How it works today: Each state has as many votes as it does H + S Winner-Take-All system- candidate that wins the popular vote in the state, wins all the states electors; exceptions are Maine & Nebraska which use a tiered system Pres./VP ticket must win 270 out of 538 available electors (535 + 3 from D.C= 538) If no candidate gets a majority (270 votes), the House of Representatives votes for president, with each state casting one vote (12 th amendment) If no VP candidate gets a majority 270, the Senate votes for VP, with each senator casting 1 vote

19. Electoral College Timeline Presidential Election 2008 November- Election Day December- Slate of Electors goes to State Capital to cast ballots January- Electoral votes are counted, by the sitting VP, in a joint session of Congress January 20th- Inauguration Day

20. Election 2000 Bush 271 Gore 266 Election 2004 Bush 286 Kerry 251

21. Election 2008 Results Map

22. 29 11 16 6 9 6 12 29 18 20 6 8 11 16 10 14 20 U.S Population 314,655,000 Districts = 710,700 38 9 10 13 15 Battleground States 4