1. Section 2: Election Campaigns Section 3: Paying for Election Campaigns
Chapter Introduction
Section 1: Who Can Vote?
Section 2: Election Campaigns
Section 3: Paying for Election Campaigns
Visual Summary
Chapter Menu

2. The right to vote is a major responsibility of citizenship
The right to vote is a major responsibility of citizenship. By voting, citizens can influence all levels of government as well as the laws under which we live. Yet many Americans do not exercise this fundamental right and responsibility of our democratic way of life.
Chapter Intro 1

3. Qualifying to Vote (cont.)
Voting is both a right and a responsibility.
People previously barred from voting in the United States:
White adult males who did not own property
Women
African American males
Native American males
People under 21 years of age
Section 1

4. Qualifying to Vote (cont.)
Voting rights today:
Right to vote not denied because of race, color, gender, or age (if at least 18 years old) (26th amendment)
Right to vote denied to people convicted of serious crimes
Extending the Right to Vote
Section 1

5. Qualifying to Vote (cont.)
Voter registration:
Required 25 days before an election in most states
State requirements vary
Information needed for voter registration forms
Identity proof needed to register for first-time voters
Extending the Right to Vote
Section 1

6. Steps in Voting (cont.)
On Election Day, citizens cast their votes at a polling place in their precinct.
Sample ballot at the entrance
Clerks and challengers have certain responsibilities
Election judges are also present
Section 1

7. Steps in Voting (cont.) After voting:
Election workers take returns to election board
Election board sends returns to state canvassing authority
Exit Polls used to predict election results
Media projections may influence on voters
Section 1

8. Why Your Vote Matters (cont.)
Why some people do not vote:
Not meeting state requirements
Not registering
Views not represented by candidates
Vote won’t make a difference
Apathy
Section 1

9. Why Your Vote Matters (cont.)
Why some people do vote:
Positive attitudes towards government and citizenship
Education, age, and income
Gives a chance to choose government leaders
Gives a chance to voice opinions
Section 1

10. Types of Elections (cont.)
General elections:
Held after primary elections
Always on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
All seats in House and one-third of seats in Senate at stake every even-numbered year
Presidential elections every four years
State and local elections
Disputed elections
Section 2

11. Presidential Elections
Presidential elections have three major steps: (1) nomination of the candidates, (2) the campaign, and (3) the vote.
Section 2

12. Presidential Elections (cont.)
Electors:
Part of the Electoral College system
List of electors pledged to each candidate
Winner-take-all system
Elector votes sent to Congress to be counted
Candidate with majority of votes wins
Section 2

13. The Electoral College
Presidents are not chosen by direct popular vote but by a body known as the Electoral College.
While the presidential candidates’ names are printed on the ballot, the voters are not actually voting directly for president and vice president. Rather, they are voting for all of their party’s electors in their state.
VS 4

14. Guide to Reading Content Vocabulary political action committee (PAC)
soft money
incumbent
Section 3-Key Terms

15. Running for Office (cont.)
Money plays a major role in the election process.
The purpose of campaigns is to convince the public to vote for a particular candidate.
Section 3

16. Running for Office (cont.)
Campaign techniques:
Canvassing to find out public opinion
Endorsements as propaganda
Advertising to create the right image and to attack opponents
Campaign expenses and high levels of spending in recent elections
Section 3

17. Financing a Campaign (cont.)
Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971:
Required public disclosure of candidates’ spending
Limited amount of hard money donated directly to a candidate or party
Tried to limit campaign spending
Section 3

18. Financing a Campaign (cont.)
Federal Election Commission (FEC):
Created by the 1974 amendment to FECA
Administers all federal election laws
Monitors campaign spending
Section 3

19. Financing a Campaign (cont.)
Presidential Election Campaign Fund:
Created to establish public funding for presidential elections
Money comes from annual taxes
Two major-party candidates can receive equal shares of money from fund
Third-party candidates can also qualify for funding
Section 3

20. Financing a Campaign (cont.)
Private funding from various sources:
Individual citizens
Corporations
Labor unions
Interest groups
Political action committees (PACs)
Soft money – unlimited amounts of money for general purposes, not designated to particular candidates
Section 3