Unit 5.1 – Why We Vote

1. Unit 5.1 – Why We Vote Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. -George Jean Nathan, 1932

2. Why Elections? Accountability • Forces voters to revisit decision made during incumbent’s term – retrospective. • Forces voters to decide on priorities, attitudes to future policy – aspirational. Representing Constituencies • Incumbents vulnerable to primary or general challengers. Public Information and Input • Even if incumbent wins, people have expressed opinions on issues. • Elections engage the media. • Elections link people to politicians, even if they haven’t voted or incumbents win.

3. Types of Elections Local + State Offices • Extremely low turnout, high incumbency • Unusual scheduling, low cost. • Governor’s races are different. Congressional Representatives • Every two years, more often resign. • Lower turnout, lower interest, powerful incumbency. Senatorial • Every six years, two classes of senators. • More expensive, but higher incumbency. Presidential • Highest level of turnout and interest. • Uses Electoral College system. • Term limits means more new candidates.

4. Types of Elections

5. Types of Elections Nationalized Elections • Often during presidential years, but can be during mid-terms. (2006, 2010) • Have much higher turnout. • Tend to result in higher turnover. Normal Elections • Often at presidential mid-terms. • Include special elections, off-year. • Very low turnout and interest. • Very low turnover of incumbents. Local Elections • Extremely low turnout most of the time. • Easy to sway results, but rarely results in much turnover. • Very sensitive to special constituencies.

6. How Elections Work Plurality / First Past The Post • Highest popular vote wins. • Does not require a majority. Single Member Districts • Each race has one winner. • No area or constituency has more than one representative – except the Senate. • A few at-large districts Two vs Three Stage Elections • Primary: selecting candidates. • General: candidate for office. • Recount: State laws for FPTP elections when popular vote is within 1%. • Runoff: Only in some states, used where full majority, not a plurality is required.

7. How Elections Work Districts • Number of Congressional representatives per state is reapportioned every ten years. • Congressional lines are redistricted, or redrawn, by state legislature choices. • Gerrymandering is a problem here. Constituencies • Each district is very different. • Party constituencies in each district are different from one another. • Do you represent your whole district or just your constituency? Open Seats • Most elections are incumbent-challenger • Occasionaly there are new / open seats!

8. How Elections Work In-Person Voting -- Varieties • Local precinct polling location. • Paper ballot – how easy to understand? • Electronic ballot – how secure are they? • Method and place of counting ballots. Absentee Voting • For those living away from their voting address – allows an early vote by mail. • Ease varies a great deal by state. Early and Special Voting • Early in-person voting • Early by-mail voting • Internet voting

9. Who Do We Vote For Party Identity • About 40-70% of voters register as or identify as members of each party. • Registration is not always an accurate predictor of how you will vote. Swing Voters • 20-40% of voters identify Independent • Independents can still vote in a partisan way – more are conservative than not. Single Issue and Partisan Voters • Single issue voters care about specific policy planks – often abortion, same sex marriage, and specific wars. • Do not act the same as partisans.

10. Who Do We Vote For Ticket Splitting • Ability of voters to vote one party for one office, and another party on the same ballot for another office. • Increasingly common since the 1960s. • Especially important in state and local elections sharing a national ballot. Straight-Ticket • Most ballots don’t give this option automatically – must choose each one. • Low-info voters prefer this option.