Elections/votingElection CampaignsExpanding Voting RightsInfluences on Voters

Election CampaignsElecting the President

◦ Electoral Votes and the states (must will 270 of 538 electoral votes)

Winner takes all – puts emphasis on winning “key” states

◦ Campaign Strategy and Organization Planning how to take key states What agenda/slogans win votes Campaign managers plot the strategy

◦ Using TV and the Internet Packaging the candidate’s “image” is huge Debates, TV ads

Election campaigns

Financing Campaigns Regulating Campaign Financing

Public Disclosure Limits on amount an individual can give to a candidate

Pubic Funding Federal Funding offered to help “even the playing field” To accept the funding, candidate must agree to limit spending

Private Funding Individuals limited to $2000 contributions to individual

candidates Political Action Committees can raise and contribute unlimited

amounts to political parties (not candidates)

Campaign law and the Internet Websites spending more than $250 on a campaign or issue

must register with the government

Expanding voting rights

Early Voting Limitation Rich White Men with land States expanded voting rights before the federal

government did

Women’s Suffrage Women fought for decades for the right to vote 19th Amendment (1920) extended voting rights to

women

Expanding Voting RightsAfrican American Suffrage

15th Amendment: post Civil War – extended voting rights to African American men. Blocked in the South after reconstruction

Grandfather Clause – could only vote if your grandfather had voted

Literacy Tests – rigged tests to deny African Americans voting rights

Poll Taxes – Poor African Americans were charged money to vote

Voting Rights Acts (1965) – The federal government enforced the right to vote for all.

26th Amendment Lowered the age to vote to 18 In reaction to the Vietnam war and the draft

Qualifications to vote

1) You are a citizen of the United States

2) You are 18 or older3) You are not a convicted felon4) You have not been declared

mentally incompetent by a court5) You are a legal resident of

your state6) You have registered to vote

Voting qualifications left up to the states. Cannot use race, gender, religion or ethnicity.

Does Your Vote Count?

Each person’s vote counts !!!!Many elections of been decided

by narrow margins G. W. Bush/Al Gore 2000 Presidential

Election Bush won Florida by 538 votes

The only way your voice IS HEARD is when you vote

Registering to VoteRequirements set by state lawhttp://

wei.secstate.wa.gov/osos/en/voterinformation/Pages/RegistertoVote.aspx

In Washington State◦30 days prior to election (by mail,

online)◦7 days prior to election (in person)

Preparing to VoteVoters PamphletsRadio, TV, Internet adsMailingsWord of those you trust/agree

with

How Do I Choose a Candidate?

1) Do they stand for the things I think are important?

2) Is the candidate reliable and honest?3) Does the candidate have relevant

past experience?4) Will the candidate be effective in

office?5) Does the candidate have good

political connections?6) Does the candidate have a real

chance of winning?

Influences on Voters Personal Background of the Voter

Age *Other Background Influences

Loyalty to Political Parties Strong vs. Weak Affiliation Cross-Pressure Voters Independent Voters

Issues in the Campaign Topical Issues Personal Issues

The Candidate’s Image How the candidate is “perceived”

Propaganda Uses info that supports a predetermined objective “Red, White & Blue, Patriotic” “Radical/Extreme”