Chapter 6

The Voter’s Role in the electoral process

What limits were once placed on the right to vote?

• 1- Property ownership- all 13 colonies required property ownership as a qualification to vote.

• 2- Religious Belief- voters were required to swear they believed in a Supreme being or belonged to a church.

• 3- Poll Tax- a tax/fee charged to vote. These taxes raised revenue for states. If you didn’t pay one year the next year it would be doubled.

• 4- Sex Discrimination- male only for a long period of time. Woman suffragist help break that with the 19th amendment.

• 5- Condition of Servitude- issue of slavery ( 3/5 compromise)

• 6- Indirect Elections- creation of electoral college and direct election of State Senators.

Constitutional Protection of Voting Rights

• 1- Voting Equality- any voter who is eligible to vote in an election is allowed.

• 2- No Racial Discrimination- No state shall deny the right to vote on the basis of sex, color, etc.

• 3- No Poll Tax- No state may require the payment of a

poll tax or any other tax in order to vote in an election.

Remaining Limitations (Don’t Copy)

• 1- Citizenship

• 2- Residency

• 3- Age

• 4- Registration

• 5- Legal disfranchisement

Citizenship

• Every state requires that voters must be citizens before they take part in a local, state, or national election.

Residency

• Every state requires that new voters must live within a state for a certain length of time before they can vote in that state. Rules vary from state to state but usually it is one year’s residence.

• The 2 major purposes to have residency requirements are: (1) to prevent political bosses from “importing” voters into their districts, (2) to ensure that voters will be familiar with the local issues and candidates.

Age

• 26th amendment lowered the voting age to 18.

Registration

• Even though citizens meet all other requirements, they may note vote until they’ve gone to election officials and register.

• Places where you can register? ( motor vehicle offices, welfare agencies, military recruitment offices, and by mail.

Legal Disfranchisement

• Some U.S. citizens are legally barred from voting.

• Examples= convicted felons, inmates, severely mentally retarded

• Voting rights may be only restored by an act of the state legislature or by a pardon from the governor of the state.

• Is this fair?

Designing a secret ballot

• What is a secret ballot? • Different methods: uniform ballot- election

officials print all ballots at public expense and the ballots are all the same size, numbered ballots- each polling place receives a series of ballots numbered in consecutive order. The number of registered voters match total number of tally book signings, detachable ballots- vote and tear off ballot before putting in the box( no one could possibly match a ballot to a particular voter), write-in votes- for candidates whose names are not printed on the ballot.

How do Americans select their party and their candidates?

1. Bloc voting- people with similar characteristics tend to vote the same way. There are 9 factors that play into bloc voting.

1. Parents’ Voting Patterns

• Two out of three Americans have the same political beliefs as their parents.

2. Place of Residence

• Small-town and rural voters tend to support Republican candidates and city dwellers more often vote Democratic. Is this true?

3. Section of the Country

• Certain regions have expressed a historical preference for one party over the other. Do we see any prefrence based on this map?

4. Religion

• Many variables exist in this category but Catholic/Jewish usually vote Democratic while Protestants are more often Republicans.

5. Race

• White voters divide their loyalties about equally between the two parties. A majority of African Americans/Hispanics prefer the Democratic party.

6. Age

• Younger voters( under 35) tend to vote Democratic while their parents (over 55) tend to vote Republican. Why the change?

7. Income Level

• Many low-income voters believe that the Democratic party bests supports their interests while the wealthy supports the Republicans.

8. Education

• Americans who ended their education level at elementary or high school level tend to be Democrats. The college educated are more likely to call themselves Republicans.

9. Occupation

• Business owners, farmers, professional people, and white-collar workers tend to vote Republican while blue-collar workers, both skilled and unskilled tend to support the Democratic Party.

• What do these labels mean “ white-collar and blue-collar?” What are some examples of each?

Trends in American Voting

• Voting the Split Ticket- Voters who vote for a Voters who vote for a Republican candidate for President and for a Democratic Republican candidate for President and for a Democratic candidate to support them in Congress. Why do you candidate to support them in Congress. Why do you think this happens? think this happens? As a result, the President often represents one party, while Congress is controlled by the opposition. Is this a good or bad thing?

• Voting for the person- Voters who are confused by the platforms just vote based on the candidate’s personality or charisma. Political campaigns have been influenced by “image makers”. Candidates are coached to make speeches filled with a something-for-everyone philosophy. This approach has turned many elections into popularity contests.

Causes of low voter turnout

• 1- Reasons beyond the voter’s control: this includes about 10% of non-voters, such examples include: being ill, business trips, vacation, inability to take time off of work. ( Most polls stay open from 7:00A.M.- 8:00P.M.

• Other option- apply for and complete an absentee ballot.

• 2. Difficult registration procedures- In a few states, restrictive procedures discourage citizens from registering.

• Response= make it easier to register (DMV)

• Complex election issues- Some voters look at long, complicated ballot and give up. Others listen to debates and propaganda prior to election and try to sort out the truth. The final group of voters ignore the election until day of and then just vote based on party loyalty.

• One-party domination- In the South or Midwest, where one party has long dominated elections, citizens don’t get excited about the campaign’s and either vote on a regular basis or not at all.

• Voter alienation- Some Americans believe that it doesn’t matter who wins an election that it wont make any difference in their everyday lives. This feeling shows a deep distrust towards politics/politicians. These voters are called alienated voters.

Sources of Campaign Funds

• 1- Families and individual supporters

• 2- Officeholders and office seekers

• 3- Special-interest groups

• 4- Fund-raising events

• 5- Public financing

1. Families and individual supporters

• Party members receive frequent mailings that ask them to donate money to the party and its candidates.( Parties welcome even the smallest donations)

2. Officeholders and office seekers

• Some politicians willingly pay some of their campaign expenses.( this is not that common) Officials running for reelection have an easier time raising campaign money. Why do you think this is the case?

3. Special-interest groups

• PAC’s- political action committees• Labor groups/unions are not allowed to

make direct donations to campaigns. Instead, the PAC’s help funnel money to their party of choice. Even honest politicians find it hard to forget generous gifts and can alter a decision that affects a PAC’s special interests.( give/take relationship)

4. Fund-raising events

• Banquets, dinners with tickets for a $100 a plate and up are formed.

• Stars from the sports/entertainment worlds often make appearances. This guarantees a bigger turnout and creates more publicity for the candidates.

5. Public financing

• Candidates must prove that they have support in many different sections of the country and must raise at least $5,000 in 20 or more states.

• The major parties also receive federal funds to stage their national conventions. (eligible for up to $19 million)

Regulation of Campaign Spending

• 1. Financial Reports- Campaign committees must file detailed reports on their spending. (reports go to Congress)

• 2. Limits on Spending- by 2004, the limit had jumped to $74 million per party. Campaigns can evade spending limits by dipping into “soft money” or money given directly to party. This loophole allows each party to exceed the limit each election.

• 3. Limits on the source of funds- creation of Federal Election Commission (FEC) which regulates the laws dealing with campaign financing. Why is it a bad/controversial idea for corporations to make large donations to candidates? Such as Tobacco/Alcohol companies

The End!!!!