1. Voting and Elections

2. LSWYK Questions
Directions: You have 7 minutes to answer the following questions ON YOUR OWN. Write answers only.
Which right is considered by many outside of this country to be our greatest freedom?
What are 3 aspects of our lives that affect our political socialization? (political thoughts, attitudes and behaviors)
What are 2 qualifications you have to meet in order to vote in the U.S.?
Which Constitutional Amendment changed the voting age in the U.S.?
What are voting districts called? (HINT: Police Stations)

3. Why Should I Vote?
The right to vote is considered to be our greatest freedom
People should exercise their right to vote because it allows citizens to
Choose their govt. leaders
Elect new leaders if dissatisfied with performance of current leaders
Express their opinions on public issues
Smoking Ban in GA Rests.

4. Political Socialization
“Study of the developmental processes by which children of all ages (12 to 30) and adolescents acquire political cognition, attitudes, and behaviors”
Family
School
Mass Media
Religion
Political Parties
Employment

5. Voting Qualifications
In order to vote in U.S. elections you must be
18 years old
Resident of the state you’re voting in
Citizen of the U.S.
Registered to vote

6. Registering to Vote Deadline:
For Utah, 30 days for mail in and 15 days for walk-ins
When to re-register:
Moved
Name Changed (Andrews>Preece)

7. Who Votes? People eligible to vote are called the electorate
People’s voting rights may be denied if
They have been convicted of a felony
They do not meet the residency requirements in their state or live in a territory.

8. Where Do I Vote? Precincts
Each address is assigned to a specific precinct number
Each precinct has specific locations where its residents go to vote (polling stations)

9. How Do I Vote?
Polling stations open as early as 5AM and close as late as 8 or 9 PM
Each voting precinct decides the method of voting to use:
Mechanical Machine - Levers
Electronic Voting – Touch Screen / Optical Scan
Paper Ballot – Paper/Punch Card

10. When Do I Vote? General Election Day
1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in Nov.
Could be voting for
President of the U.S.
Governor
Senators
Representatives
State Legislators
Any state, federal, or local officials
Mid-term Elections (Same Day as Above)
Elections in which members of Congress and some Governors are being elected, but not the President

11. Voting Types Absentee Voting
Voters who cannot get to the polls on Election Day can use an absentee ballot
Can be requested from the local election board as early as 180 days before Election Day
Ballots opened and counted in your precinct on Election Day

12. Voting Types Advance Voting
Allows any registered voter to cast a ballot in person at the county voter registration office during normal business hours on the Monday through Friday of the week prior to an election.

13. Counting the Votes Election workers count votes after polls close
Ballots then taken to election board and they count votes again
News media and party workers try to predict winners as soon as possible through exit polls
also used to deter voter fraud