1. Voting and Voter Behavior

2. Voting Part 1 Who has suffrage in the US?
What are the requirements to vote?
Who is prohibited from voting?
What is voter registration?

3. Suffrage or Franchise =the right to vote
By 1810 religious qualifications were eliminated, by 1840s property requirements
th Amendment- race
th Amendment- gender
rd Amendment- DC residents
1965- Voting Rights Act
th Amendment – no poll tax
th Amendment – age 18+

4. Universal requirements set by the states
Citizenship-(varies by state)
Nothing in the Constitution says that an alien should not be able to vote
Residency-(varies by state)
requirement to live in the state need to be < than 31 days in a Presidential election
Age
Limit cannot be higher than 18

5. Registration- a procedure of voter id to prevent fraudulent voting
A Progressive reform – early 1900s
All states except N. Dakota require registration
Most European democracies require public officials to compile a list of eligible voters.
“Motor-Voter” Law since 1995

6. Persons denied the vote
No state allows anyone living in a mental institution to vote.
¼ of the states denies voting to felons.
A few states do not allow anyone who is dishonorably discharged from the military to vote.

7. Homework:
After assessing your personal political orientation and analyzing the various platforms presented by the existing political parties, you’ve decided to start your OWN 3rd party!
Devise a name for your party and a symbol that will attract voters.
Create a PLATFORM with at least 5 “planks” from the following topics:
Economy, debt, taxation, foreign affairs, Afghanistan, Iran, War on Drugs, War on Terror, immigration, homeland security, health, environment, energy, social issues such as abortion, marriage law, capital punishment.
Write out each “plank” in 2-3 complete sentences which describe and explain your position.

8. Part 2
Who votes and why?
Who doesn’t vote and why?

9. What about everybody else?
Why people do not vote
Close to 100 million did not vote in 2004
% of non-voters is generally increasing
56.7% of eligible voters voted for president
60.9% in 1968, 49% in 1996
Cannot voters – million
10 million resident aliens
5-6 million ill, disabled
500,000 in mental institutions
2-3 million traveling unexpectedly
2 million in jail
100,000 who do not vote based on religious reasons
What about everybody else?

10. 80,000,000 votes What for? It won’t make any difference
Everything’s fine. Why bother?
80,000,000
votes
the “system”.
I refuse to participate!
Uggghhh! The line’s too long and it’s raining…
I don’t know.
I don’t care.

11. idiot
from the Greek word idiotes: those who did not vote or take part in civic life

12. Sociological factors determining whether or how people vote

13. Sociological factors determining whether or how people vote
Income, occupation
Lower income groups vote Democrat
Education
Higher percentages of college graduates vote Republican
Gender
Before 2004 women more likely to vote Democrat.
Age
Younger people tend to vote Democrat

14. Sociological factors of voting
5. Religion-Republican party recent gains
Protestants=Republican
Catholics & Jews= Democrat
6. Ethnic Background
African Americans typically vote Democrat
Mexican Americans & Puerto Ricans usually vote Democrat
Cubans usually vote Republican
7. Family
9/10 married couples share partisan leanings
2/3 people vote like their parents

15. Voters Straight ticket Split-ticket Independent
vote the same party in all races
Split-ticket
split presidential and Congressional and/or state and local
Independent

16. Use this website: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm
1. Who is the current California Secretary of State?
2. Who is eligible to vote in California?
3. If you want to vote in the November election, when is the deadline for registration?
4. How do you register to vote?
5. When is the California primary?

17. Why don’t more people vote?
Talk to your partner; prepare 1-2 reasons why people might choose not to vote.

18. The Economics of Voting
Highlight author’s thesis and key points. Margin note your questions, connections and reactions to the author’s words.
Prepare to discuss the bulleted questions.

21. Interactive Electoral Map http://www.electoral-vote.com
Interactive Electoral Map
History of electoral votes by state

22. References
McClenaghan, W. (2006). Magruder’s American Government. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.
Hart, Diane. (2009). Government Alive! Power, Politics and You. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers’ Curriculum Institute.

23. AGNEDA: Tues 11/1 & Wed 11/2 The Candidate conclusion
Midterm Essay Review
RAP #20: Compulsory Voting
Voter Behavior
HW: Prepare for Midterm Essay
Party Platform Part 1
EC #2 DUE: Thurs 11/3 & Fri 11/4

24. Midterm Reflection Essay In Class: Thurs 11/3 & Fri 11/4
“Based on your viewing of “The Candidate” and excerpts from “Bobby,” along with your own understanding of the role of political parties, write an essay which addresses one component from each of the following options:
Option A
Compare and contrast the role of political parties in promoting candidates for the presidency from the late 1960s to today.
Compare and contrast the campaign issues, party platforms, and personal character of each candidate from “The Candidate” and “Bobby”.
AND
Option B
At the end of “The Candidate” the question is posed, “What do we do now?” Predict the influence on government McKay will have after he won the Senate race.
Predict the impact on our country had Bobby Kennedy not been shot and won the Presidency. 24

25. RAP #20: Compulsory Voting
Read the handout “The Economics of Voting.” Take margin notes about your response to the argument being presented by the author.
Do you agree or disagree w/ the author’s perspective?
Whether or not you agree that low voter turnout is a serious problem, it seems clear that our government would be more representative if more people voted. Furthermore, low turnout is especially common among young voters.
Would you be more likely to vote if voting were no longer voluntary? Why/why not?
What about if you would be fined or even jailed for not voting? Why/why not?
Should all eligible voters vote?