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Voting & Voter Behavior
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Terminology: The Right to Vote
Suffrage Franchise Disenfranchise: to take away the right to vote Electorate: all eligible voters
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Voter Qualifications U.S. Citizenship Residency
Native-born or naturalized Residency All states require residence—NO transients Prevents election fraud Waiting periods CANNOT be longer than 30 days Age— must be 18 (26th Amendment) Registration Must prove identity to avoid election fraud Trend toward making process easier
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Long-term Trends in the Development of the Right to Vote
Gradual elimination of voting restrictions Religion, property ownership, race, sex, tax payment Assumption by the Federal Gov’t. of States’ power To protect voting rights
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Voting Rights & U.S. History
1870 All men, regardless of race, could vote 1920’s Women could vote American Indians could vote 1960’s Reinforced voting rights 1971 18 year olds could vote Colonial Times Religious qualifications Following the American Revolution Wealthy, white, property owning males could vote Mid 1800’s Universal white male suffrage
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The Constitution & the Right to Vote
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14th Amendment Defines the meaning of U.S. citizenship
Establishes that each state must guarantee equal protection of the laws to its citizens Significance Helped protect individual liberties, such as voting, from the infringement of states & the national government
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15th Amendment Guarantees the right to vote shall not be denied to anyone on the basis of race Significance Began the voting enfranchisement of African Americans into the election process Didn’t speak to women’s suffrage
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19th Amendment Granted the right of women to vote Significance
Good example of how grassroots mobilization can bring about change in America
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24th Amendment Significance Eliminated the poll tax
Prior to this change, states could limit certain populations of citizens from voting, including poor people & African Americans Eliminated the poll tax
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26th Amendment Granted 18-year-old citizens the right to vote
Significance Most college students are allowed to participate in elections today because of this change
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Important Amendments 14th (1868) Citizenship Rights 15th (1870)
Black Suffrage 19th (1920) Women’s Suffrage 24th (1964) Eliminated Poll Taxes 26th (1971) Voting for 18-year olds
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Conclusion Over time, suffrage has been extended to more people—thus our American electorate has increased
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Suffrage & Civil Rights
Challenging Discriminatory Practices
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Progression of Suffrage & Civil Rights
Failure of the 15th Amendment Civil Rights Act of 1957 Civil Rights Act of 1960 *Discriminatory Southern Practices Civil Rights Act of 1964 Voting Rights Act of 1965 Voting Rights Act—Amended *Martin Luther King, Jr.
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The 15th Amendment & Reality
Although the 15th Amendment was intended to enfranchise African Americans—it was not enforced for almost 100 years
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Discriminatory Practices
In the late 19th century & well into the 20th century… Southern States used their power to regulate elections to keep African Americans from the polls Literacy tests Poll taxes Complicated registration practices Grandfather clauses “White Primaries” Gerrymandering Violence
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The Civil Rights Act of 1957 Established the U.S. Civil Rights Commission Gave the Attorney General the right to seek federal injunctions against those that interfered with voting rights Court order to stop a certain action President Eisenhower & Civil Rights Leaders
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Civil Rights Act of 1960 Provided for the appointment of federal voting referees Voting referees made sure that qualified citizens were allowed to register & vote in federal elections
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Civil Rights Act of 1964 Forbid discriminatory registration requirements Relied heavily on the use of the court system to fight racial discrimination President Johnson & Civil Rights Leaders
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Famous civil rights leader & activist
Organized a voter registration drive in Selma, Alabama in 1964 His efforts were met with violent opposition
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March on Montgomery, Alabama
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The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Passed in response to violent attacks on African Americans Considered centerpiece of civil rights legislation Law attacked the use of poll taxes & literacy tests Authorized the use of Voting Examiners Made the 15th Amendment effective at last Considered the centerpiece of civil rights legislation—didn’t solve the discrimination problem, but protected voting rights President Johnson & Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Voting Rights Act of ‘65—Amended
In 1975 the law was extended to cover States & counties with large populations of language minorities Hispanics, Native Americans, Asian Americans, & Alaskan Natives Ballots are now printed in multiple languages
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Voting & nonvoting in the u.s.
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Nonvoting—Why People Don’t Vote
Define the following as you read: Off-year elections Ballot fatigue Cannot-voters Political efficacy Time-zone fallout Party identification Cross-pressures Two-party competition Answer the following: List 4 reasons why voter turnout is consistently low due to circumstances of elections. List 8 reasons why people don’t vote. What types of people are more likely to vote than others?
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Voting Vocabulary “Cannot-Voters” “Off-year Elections”
People who don’t vote because they cannot Aliens, mentally/physically handicapped, people in prison “Political Efficacy” Sense of one’s ability to influence or effect politics Belief that your vote matters “Off-year Elections” Elections held b/t presidential election years “Ballot Fatigue” Phenomenon that as a general rule, the further down the ballot an office is, the fewer votes that will be cast
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Voting Vocabulary Cross-Pressures Time-zone fallout
Contradictory, competing influences that discourage voting Two-Party Competition Occurs when both major parties have strong candidates that are both well-supported Time-zone fallout Problem that as East Coast results are reported in presidential elections, West Coast voters are discouraged from voting Party Identification Political party to which an individual relates to (belongs)
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Elections & Voter Turn-Out
Presidential Elections Only ½ of eligible voters turn-out Off-Year Elections Only ⅓ of eligible voters turn-out Presidential elections attract the most voters Less people vote in primaries & special elections More people vote in federal (national) elections Fewer people vote in state & local elections
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Why People Don’t Vote… Unsatisfied with political system
Believe outcomes of elections won’t affect them Distrust political process— “my vote doesn’t matter” Inclement weather Laziness Ballot fatigue Time-zone fallout Lack of candidate competition
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Factors Affecting Voter Turn-Out
Voters Nonvoters More likely to be at the higher end of the ladder Socially Economically Educationally Active in communities High political efficacy Experience few cross-pressures Most likely under 35 Unmarried Unskilled Live in South or rural area The greater degree of candidate competition, the higher the voter turn-out is likely to be
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