Voters and Voter Behavior

1. Voters and Voter Behavior Ch. 6 Notes

2. Some Terms • Suffrage and Franchise – Same meaning, the right to vote. • Disenfranchised – Those who do not have the right to vote or whose right to vote is being denied. • Electorate – The potential voting population; The total population who have the qualifications and the right to vote.

3. Voting Qualifications • Citizenship • Must be a citizen of the US. • States could allow “aliens” to vote but none do so currently. • “Naturalized Citizens” could face State restrictions, but that is rare.

4. Residency • Must be a legal resident in the state in which you intend to vote. • Domicile – location of PRIMARY residence. • Must live in the state for a certain length of time prior to voting.

5. Voting Age • The age requirement is 18 for national elections. • States have the reserved right to set age requirements in state or local elections; very rare instances. • Primary elections are usually the only exceptions.

6. Registration • Registration is the process of voter identification used to prevent voter fraud. • Without careful registration records, ineligible votes might take place, some may try to vote more than once or vote in multiple places.

7. The Disenfranchised • Historically, many groups of people! Examples?? • Non-citizens. • Persons committed to mental institutions and the mentally disabled. • Convicted felons, for varying lengths of time depending on the states.

8. Gerrymandering • Gerrymandering • The practice of drawing the boundaries of voting districts in order to limit the voting power of particular parties or groups.

10. Voting Laws • End voter discrimination. • Federal Government given greater powers to enforce voter laws. Power taken out of the hands of the states. • Force States to allow “open” voter registration without fear of intimidation or violence. • End literacy tests as qualification for voter registration. • End “poll taxes” – pay to vote rules. Ended by the 24th amendment. • Essentially, put an end to Jim Crowism!

11. Voting in 2008 • About 60% of the electorate actually voted. • That number is a little higher than average for the past 40+ years. • Why a higher number in 2008?

12. Ballot Fatigue • Non-voting increases as the voter gets further down the ballot. • Running out of time, patience or knowledge about the candidates or the offices they seek to fill.

14. Cannot Voters • Resident Aliens • **Too sick or disabled. • **Traveling • Mental Health • Imprisonment • Religious beliefs • Military dishonorable discharge. • ** = There are solutions for these problems.

15. Voter Apathy • Discusses already

16. Voter Turnout (participation)1968-2008 • Participation declined from 1968-1992. • 1992 only a brief increase. Any ideas why a brief increase? • Decline again 1992-2004. • Increasing from 2004-Present. Any ideas why an increase?

17. Gender and Age • Democrats are more likely to be hurt by low voter turnout among voters 18-30. • Young voters tend to vote for Democrats, therefore young voters who do not vote tend to hurt Democratic candidates. • The same is typically true among female voters.

18. Split-Ticket Voting • Split-Ticket Voting is the practice of voting for candidates in more than one political party. • Example, Dem. Candidate for Pres. but Republican candidates for US Senate or Governor. • Split-Ticket voting is increasing in popularity as voters have less loyalty to any one party. • Straight-Ticket Voting, therefore, is the practice of voting for all candidates from any one party.

19. Independents and their effect on Parties. • Voters who have no party affiliation. No particular loyalty to any one party. • The two major parties have become increasingly similar in that they focus on the same issues. • As voters become increasingly fed up with partisanship, they tend to think for themselves, not what the party tells them. • The parties will have to change strategies to win the vote of the independents.

20. That’s All for Now!!