1. (10.3/10.4) Voting Trends / Voting Process
U.S. Government and Politics

2. Essential question for this unit
What is the role of the people in Government?
* This unit is about the Linkage Institutions

3. Review Right to Vote
History of the Vote (Watch video if you missed it)
Universal criteria
citizenship, residence and age
MN voting eligibility requirements
Registration process controversies

4. Voting as a responsibility
Voting is one of the ways individuals can affect public policy.
Elected officials make decisions every day that affect your life!
By doing so they are fulfilling one of the most important responsibilities of citizenship! Voting gives you a voice!

5. Voter Turnout Issues in United States
Presidential Elections vs. Off-year elections
Pres. Election Day 2016 = 58.5 % voted (Mn 74.2%!)
Estimated ballots counted = 135, 557, 845
Voting eligible population = 231, 556, 622
Pres. Election Day 2012 = 56.5 % voted
more than 102 million voting eligible persons not participating
Election Day 2010 = 42%
off-year elections = congressional elections held in the even-numbered years between elections

6. 2018 Midterms relatively high. Why?

7. This graph is based on the U. S. population aged 18 and over
This graph is based on the U.S. population aged 18 and over. What can you conclude about voter turnout in presidential as opposed to off-year elections from this graph?

9. Where does Minnesota rank?

10. Voter Turnout Issues in United States
Another reason for nonvoter issues
ballot fatigue = the farther down the ballot an office is, the fewer the number of votes that will be cast for it
Mandatory voting?! Should you be forced to vote (video)
What do you think?
What do other countries think? (article)

11. Why people do not vote
Article: Why is voter turnout so low in the U.S.?
Why are there so many non-voters?
Why, even in a presidential election, is there only half the population participating?
In your opinion, what do you think are the biggest reasons citizens do not vote?

12. Why people do not vote
Possible reasons (tends to be a combo of factors)
cannot vote: ex. resident aliens
actual nonvoters: various reasons such as no sense of political efficacy = feeling that you can/cannot influence politics
Time-Zone Fallout and Other Factors: cumbersome election procedures, such as long lines at polling places
Comparing Voters and Nonvoters: profiles of each

14. Influences on voters and voting behavior
How do those who do vote behave? What prompts many to vote most often for Republicans and many others to support the Democratic Party?
Studying voter behavior
political socialization = the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions
Influences = family, school, peer group, and mass media.
Video - political socialization

15. Political Socialization

16. Rock the Vote is a nonpartisan organization that uses music, popular culture, and technology to engage young people and involve them in the political process.

17. Sociological factors and political attitudes
Using data from past elections, you can draw conclusions of the American voter in terms of a number of sociological factors.
Do not make too much of any one of these factors. Each voter tends to posses more than one. These are tendencies...
Income and Occupation: low income/Democrat, high income/Republicans
Education: low and highly educated, Democrat; middle - Republican
Gender, Age: women & younger voters/Democrat; male Republican
Religion, Ethnic Background: Catholics & Jews & AfricanAmer & Latinos / Democrat
Geography: South+Plains/Republican: New Engl, Cal./Democrat
Population Shifts: rural /Republicans, urban/ Democrats, suburbs swing
Family and Other Groups: voting similar to your relationships

18. This exit poll categorizes voters based on income and education
This exit poll categorizes voters based on income and education. According to the text, did the actual vote reflect this preliminary data? Explain.

20. Psychological factors and political attitudes
There are factors beyond sociological impacting a person’s attitudes. You must also take into account a number of psychological factors.
That is, you must look at the voters’ perceptions of politics: how they see and react to the parties, the candidates, and the issues in an election.
Party Identification: loyalty of people to a particular political party (straight-ticket voting vs split ticket). Large groups of independents now.
Candidates and Issues: the impression a candidate makes on the voters during the campaign

21. Family is a big factor in how a person tends to vote
Family is a big factor in how a person tends to vote. Statistics show that this baby will likely vote Democratic upon turning 18.

22. Elections and Democracy
Administration of elections in the U.S.
Democratic government cannot hope to succeed unless elections are free, honest and accurately reported.
Remember: voting is one of the most effective processes used by people to affect public policy.

23. Elections and Democracy
Administration of elections in the U.S.
The administration of elections is effective and crucial to government success.
Extent of federal control
Help America Vote Act
State elections
Increase in early voting (absentee voting - process by which citizens could vote without going to their polling places on election day)

24. The Voting Process
Most election law in the U.S. is state not federal law.
Example of Congress expanding federal election law
Help America Vote Act of is a federal program that reformed aspects of the United States election system after the 2000 election issues (Bush vs. Gore) - ballot and registration issues.
Major provisions included things such as
Replacing lever-operated voting devices
Upgrade administration of elections thru better training of staff
Centralize and computerize the voter registration system

25. The Voting Process Precincts, Polling Places and Ballots
A precinct = a voting district. Where do I vote? (link)
A polling place—the place where the voters actually vote in/near a precinct.
Types of ballots
Casting and counting ballots, recounts

26. A Maryland voter casts her ballot ten days before election day
A Maryland voter casts her ballot ten days before election day. By 2013, thirty-two States allowed early voting, some as much as six weeks early.

27. Sample Ballots

28. Conclusions / Takeaways
Quick write and report out:
Give a summary of the voting process and trends in the U.S.