1. Voting and Elections
Chapter 4

2. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning.
Learning Objectives
LO 4.1 Explain why voter turnout is low in Texas. LO 4.2 Describe the types of Texas elections. LO 4.3 Understand how elections are administered in Texas. LO 4.4 Identify the factors that advantage (or disadvantage) candidates in Texas elections. LO 4.5 Apply what you have learned about voting and elections in Texas.
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3. Political Participation
The Participation Paradox and Why People Vote
Who Votes?
Demographic variables
Political factors
Participation paradox: The fact that citizens vote even though a single vote rarely decides an election.
The most important demographic variables in determining who votes are education, income and age.
Political factors such as one’s expressed interest in politics and the intensity of identification with political parties influence the likelihood of voting.
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4. Political Participation
The Practice of Voting
Legal qualifications for voting in Texas
Voter Turnout in the United States and in Texas
Voter turnout
Voting-age population (VAP)
The legal qualifications for voting in Texas are surprisingly few and simple. Anyone who is (1) a citizen of the United States, (2) at least 18 years of age, and (3) a resident of the state is eligible to register and vote in Texas.
Voter turnout: The proportion of eligible Americans who actually vote.
Voting-age population: The total number of persons in the United States who are 18 years of age or older.
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5. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning.
How Many People Vote in the United States? Presidential Election Turnout
Figure 4.1 Here we see that turnout declined in the early 1970s but has not changed much during the last 30 years. A little more than 50 percent of the voting-age population now vote in presidential elections.
Describe the groups that are most likely to vote. Does one party or the other benefit more when there is a high turnout of voters?
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6. Voter Turnout from Around the World
Figure 4.2 The United States is most similar to India, Russia, and Tunisia.
Source: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance,
Why is voter turnout so far below what we observe in other established, industrialized democracies?
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Percentage of the Voting-Age Population Casting Ballots in Presidential General Elections,
Table 4.1 How does Texas Compare? Voter Turnout in the State and Nation
Sources: Lester Milbrath, “Participation in the American States,” in Herbert Jacob and Kenneth N. Vines (eds.), Politics in the American States, 2nd ed. (Boston: Little, Brown, 1971), pp ; Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1989, and 1993 (Washington, DC:U.S. Government Printing Office); Federal Election Commission, “Voter Registration and Turnout,” United States Elections Project, For 2012, turnout estimates are based on data from the Texas Secretary of State and VAP numbers are from the United States Elections Project.
Should the government take steps to encourage people to vote? Why or why not?
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8. Copyright © 2016 Cengage Learning.
Percentage of the Voting-Age Population Casting Ballots in Nonpresidential General Elections,
Table 4.2 How does Texas Compare? Voter Turnout in the State and Nation
Sources: Statistical Abstract of the United States, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1989, and 1996 (Washington, DC:U.S. Government Printing Office); Federal Election Commission, “Voter Registration and Turnout,” United States Elections Project,
How would a higher voter turnout affect election results in Texas?
What factors explain why Texas has such a low voter turnout compared to other states?
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9. Who Votes? Reasons for Low Voter Turnout in Texas Legal constraints
Demographic factors
Historically, Texas was among the most restrictive states in its voting laws through the institution of such things as the poll tax, women’s suffrage, the white primary, restrictions on the military vote, a long residence requirement, property ownership as a requirement for voting in bond elections, annual registration requirements, early registration requirements, and the linking of prospective jurors from the voting rolls. All of these restrictions have since been changed by amendments to the U.S. Constitution, state and national laws, rulings by the U.S. Department of Justice and judicial decisions.
Demographically, more than 4 million people live in poverty in Texas. Given that income and education are such important determinants of electoral participation, low voter turnout is exactly what we should expect in Texas given its high rate of poverty.
What explains why some people are more likely to vote than others?
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Who Votes?
Reasons for Low Voter Turnout in Texas (cont.)
Political structure
Party competition
Political culture
Texas uses a long ballot that may call for the voter to choose from as many as 150 to 200 candidates vying for 50 or more offices. The frequency of referendums on constitutional amendments contributes to the length of the ballot in Texas. In addition, voters are also asked to go to the polls for various municipal, school board, bond, and special-district elections.
With rare exceptions, the races between candidates of the two parties in November elections in Texas have not been competitive. This dampens voter interest and turnout.
Low voter turnout in Texas may be due in part to the state’s political culture, which is a mix of the traditionalistic and the individualistic. As a result, participation in politics is not as highly regarded as it is in other states, particularly those with a moralistic culture.
Identify forms of participation other than voting. Which forms of participation have the greatest impact in Texas politics?
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11. Types of Elections in Texas
Primary Elections
Direct primary
Who must hold a primary?
Any party receiving 20 percent of the gubernatorial vote
Direct primary: A method of selecting party nominees in which party members participate directly in the selection of a candidate to represent them in the general election.
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12. Types of Elections in Texas
Primary Elections (cont.)
Financing primaries
Administering primaries
The majority rule
Runoff primary
Most of the primaries’ costs come from the state treasury.
Runoff primary: A second primary election that pits the two top vote-getters from the first primary, where the winner in that primary did not receive a majority. The runoff primary is used in states such as Texas that have a majority election rule in party primaries.
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13. Fees for Listing on the Party Primary Ballot in Texas, Selected Offices
Table 4.3
How much do filing fees limit candidates’ access to the state ballot?
Should election laws attempt to discourage frivolous candidates?
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14. Types of Elections in Texas
Primary Elections (Cont’d.)
Closed primary
Open primary
Crossover voting
Open primary: A type of primary where voters can choose on Election Day in which primary they will participate.
Closed primary: A type of primary where a voter is required to specify a party preference when registering to vote.
Crossover voting: When members of one political party vote in the other party’s primary to influence the nominee that is selected.
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15. Types OF Elections in Texas
General Elections
Won by a plurality vote
Special Elections
Designed to meet special or emergency needs
General elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.
Plurality vote: An election rule in which the candidate with the most votes wins regardless of whether it is a majority.
Special elections are held to fill vacancies only in legislative bodies that have general (rather than limited) lawmaking power.
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16. The conduct and administration of elections
County-level Administration
Ballot Construction
Party-column ballot
Split-ticket voting
Straight-ticket voting
Office-block ballot
Party-column ballot: A type of ballot used in a general election where all of the candidates from each party are listed in parallel columns under the party label.
Split-ticket voting: A voter selecting candidates from one party for some offices and candidates from the other party for other offices.
Straight-ticket voting: Selecting all of the candidates of one particular party.
Office-block ballot: A type of ballot used in a general election where the names of the parties’ candidates are randomly listed in under each office.
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17. The conduct and administration of elections
Ballot Construction (Cont’d.)
The Politics of Ballot Construction
Getting on the Ballot
Write-in Candidates
Political parties in Texas support the use of the party column ballot.
For a name to be placed on the general-election ballot, the candidate must be either a party nominee or an independent.
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18. The conduct and administration of elections
Ballot Construction (Cont’d.)
The secret ballot and the integrity of elections
Australian ballot
Multilingualism
Australian ballot: A ballot printed by the government (as opposed to the political parties) that allows people to vote in secret. Optional at first, the Australian ballot was made mandatory in 1903.
Ballots in most Texas counties are printed in English. In more than 100 counties, the ballot is printed in both English and Spanish. In 2002, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered Harris County, which includes Houston, to provide ballots (and voting material) in Vietnamese as well.
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19. The conduct and administration of elections
Early Voting
Counting and Recounting Ballots
Chad
Electronic Voting
Early voting: The practice of voting before Election Day at traditional voting locations, such as schools, and other locations, such as grocery and convenience stores.
Chad: The small pieces of paper produced when voting with punch-card ballots.
Electronic voting: Voting by using touch screens.
Does electronic voting solve the problems with the paper ballot? How can we tell?
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20. Election Campaigns in Texas: strategies, resources, and results
The General Election Campaign
Mobilizing groups
Choosing issues
The campaign trail
Negative campaigning
Timing
Negative campaigning: A strategy used in election campaigns in which candidates attack opponents’ issue positions or character.
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21. Election Campaigns in Texas: strategies, resources, and results
Money in Election Campaigns
Political Action Committees (PACs)
Where does the money go?
Control over money in campaigns
Soft money
Independent expenditures
Political Action Committees (PACs): Organizations that raise and then contribute money to political candidates.
Soft money: Money spent by political parties on behalf of political candidates, especially for the purposes of increasing voter registration and turnout.
Independent Expenditures: Money individuals and organizations spend to promote a candidate without working or communicating directly with the candidate’s campaign organization.
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22. Profiles of Texas Campaign Mega-Donors
Table 4.4
Explain how Texas campaign finance regulations are designed to hold public officials and campaign contributors accountable by shining the light of publicity on them. Think of other ways to limit potential corrupting influences that do not interfere with freedom of expression.
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23. Election Campaigns in Texas: strategies, resources, and results
Who Gets Elected
Elected offices in Texas can be viewed as a pyramid.
Successful candidates have typically been white Protestant males.
Women and minorities have made substantial gains in statewide offices.
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24. citizens united v. federal election commission
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25. video discussion questions
How did the Citizens United ruling impact the last gubernatorial race in Texas?
Do you believe most Texans supported this ruling? Why or why not?
Which interests in the state benefited most from the outcome of this case?
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