1. Voting, campaigns, and elections
Chapter 5

2. Learning Objectives
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.

4. Democratic Government
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?

5. Why Vote? Civic duty Voters elect candidates
Despite the fact one vote rarely matters
Voters elect candidates
Voting decreases alienation
Voting affects public policy
Voting helps prevent corruption

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

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

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

9. Anti-Fraud or Anti-Democrat
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?

11. Texas Voter Registration Law
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
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

12. Texas Turnout 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?

13. Table 5-1 Percentage of Voting-Age Population Voting in National Elections, 1972–2010

14. Why don’t Texans vote? 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?

15. Table 5-2 Self-Reported Voter Turnout, 2004, 2006, 2008

16. The Consequences of Nonvoting
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?

17. Participation is Easy 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

18. Table 5-3 White and African-American Public Opinion, 2009–2010

19. Table 5-4 Anglo and Hispanic Public Opinion, 2009–2010

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

21. Table 5-5 Television Advertising Costs In Selected Texas Cities, 2011

22. Where Does the Money Come From?
Most from wealthy donors representing a special interest
Skews public policy
Many retired politicians favor public funding
Discussion: should Texas have publicly funded campaigns?

23. Regulation of Campaign Finance
1971—Revenue Act (federal)
1972—Federal Election Campaign Act (federal)
1973—Texas Campaign Reporting and Disclosure Act
No enforcement provision

24. Regulation of Campaign Finance
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

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

26. Negative Campaigning 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

27. Public Elections
Primaries—nominate party candidates for general election
2nd 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

28. Types of Primary Elections
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

29. Primary Elections
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

30. General Elections 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

31. Ballots 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

32. Other Election Types Mayors and city councils Special elections
nonpartisan
Special elections
To fill vacant positions
Votes on constitutional amendments
Absentee or early voting

33. Electronic Voting 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

34. Recent Elections in Texas
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

36. Election of 2006
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

37. Election of 2008 Nationally—return to power for Democrats
Texas—Republicans continued as majority party
Some Democratic increases in judiciary, state House of Representatives, local level

38. Election of 2010 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?