Voting and Elections

1
Voting and Elections

• Chapter 10

2
Daily Agenda (10/22/07)

• Appetizer
• Homework review
• Groups (3rd Period Only)/1st Period (Tomorrow)
• Notes

3
Objectives

• 4.06 Describe the benefits of civic
  participation.
• 4.07 Analyze costs and benefits of jury service,
  voting, seeking office, and civic action at the
  local, state, and national level.
• 4.08 Participate in civic life, politics, and/or
  government.

4
Qualifying to Vote

• In order to vote you must be
• 18 years old
• A resident of a state for a specified period of
  time
• Citizen of the US
• You must be registered to vote

5
Qualifying to Vote

• Only convicted felons or prisoners can not vote.
• You can not be denied the right vote regardless
  of
• Your race
• Color
• Gender
• Age (After you turn 18)

6
Voter Registration

• You must meet the qualifications and register to
  vote before you can actually vote
• Some states require you register at least 25 days
  in advance. Others, 10 days or less.
• Registration Requirements vary from state to
  state.

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Voter Registration

• Some States use different methods for Voter
  Registration
• Snail Mail
• In-person registration (Voter Registration
  Rallies, High Schools, Libraries, On the Street)
• E-mail
• Welfare Agencies
• DMV (Motor Voter Act)

8
Motor Voter Act

• Passed in 1995
• Also known as the National Voter Registration Act
• Allows voters to register when they renew their
  drivers licenses.

9
Voter Registration Continued

• Requires you to fill out a few forms.
• On the forms they ask for
• Your Name
• Address
• Age
• Phone Number
• Party Preference (Republican, Democrat,
  Independent, unaffiliated, Third Party)

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Voter Registration

• If you register as a Democrat or Republican you
  can vote in a primary election.

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Theres a first time for everything

• If you register for the first time you must show
• Proof of Citizenship
• Address
• Age
• (Birth Certificate or Drivers License)
• Once registered you are assigned an election
  district based on your address.

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At the polls

• Polls are usually open between 7 am and 7pm in
  North Carolina.
• Once you arrive a clerk asks for your voter id,
  drivers license and a signature on an
  application.
• Note there should always be a sample ballot
  posted somewhere for you to see it.

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Ballots

• Ballots are lists of candidates on which you can
  cast your vote.
• Ballots can also list issues or proposals on
  county ordinances.

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Types of Ballots

• Paper
• Scantron
• Hole-Punch
• Electronic Lever
• Computer

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Sample Ballot Exercise

• The following slides contain a sample ballot
  similar to those found on a computer ballot. On
  a quarter sheet of paper (Share with your
  neighbors) you are going to vote on a Candidate
  running for office or on a proposal
• Remember you can write-in a candidates name that
  does not appear on this ballot

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Sample Ballot

• Your Choice for President of the United States
• Fred Thompson (R)
• Hillary Clinton (D)

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Sample Ballot Continued

• Your Choice for Vice President of the United
  States
• Mike Huckabee (R)
• Barack Obama (D)

18
Sample Ballot

• Choose one for US Senate
• Elizabeth Dole (R)
• Carl Levin (D)

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Sample Ballot

• Choose one for NC Governor
• Beverly Perdue (D)
• Roy Cooper (R)

20
Sample Ballot

• Choose one for NC Superior Court Judge
• Howard Manning (R)
• Jane Doe (D)

21
Sample Ballot

• Proposal Schools in Robeson County should adopt
  a uniform policy. (Choose One)
• Yes
• No

22
Sample Ballot

• Proposal There should be a .2 raise in county
  taxes to help pay for a new Lumberton High
  School. (Choose One)
• Yes
• No

23
Sample Ballot

• Proposal I-95 shall be converted into a toll
  road. (Choose One)
• Yes
• No

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Absentee Voting

• Absentee Ballots are ballots that are sent out to
  be people who can not make it to a polling place.
• Generally these people are in the military or are
  temporarily outside the voting district they live
  in.
• Absentee Ballots are usually mailed in and
  counted on Election Day or a day after.

25
Returns, Exit Polls, and Counting

• Returns- results from the elections.
• Exit Polls are polls taken from voters as they
  leave the polling places.

26
Calling the Election

• Although polls close around 730 in the eastern
  time zones, voting continues in other time zones.
• Networks such as CNN, FOX News, MSNBC, ABC, NBC
  cover the election all night.

27
Calling the Election

• They used computerized projections based on the
  Election History to call races.

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Election 2004
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Your Vote Matters

• Your Vote is important!
• In order to be informed about issues read
  newspapers, watch TV, listen to radio ads.
• TV Networks such as Fox News, CNN, Headline
  News, MSNBC they run political coverage 24/7.

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My Vote Matters!

• As you become an educated voter read carefully!
• Know fact from fiction. Visit sites such as the
  GOP (Republican Website) and the Democrats
  Homepage.

31
My Vote Matters Questions to Consider

• Does the Candidate stand for things I think are
  important?
• Is the candidate reliable and honest?
• Does the Candidate have relevant past experience?
• Will the Candidate be effective in office?
• Does the candidate have a real chance of winning?

32
Citizens who do vote

• Have positive attitude towards government and
  citizenship.
• The more education that a person has the more
  likely they are to vote in future elections.
• The higher the income, the more likely a person
  is to vote.

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Final Thoughts

• Voting gives you a chance to choose your
  government leaders
• It gives you a chance to voice your opinion on
  current government leaders
• You can elect new leaders or express your
  opinions on new issues.

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Assignment (Honors and Law and Justice)

• On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph
  about issues that are important to you as a
  voter. Some issues that you may want to think
  about are (Energy, Healthcare, Social Security,
  the War in Iraq) and what you would like your
  ideal candidate to do about these issues. Due at
  the end of the Period)

35
Election Results- President

• 1st Period
• Hillary Clinton (D) 8
• Fred Thompson(R) 11
• Independent 3
• Winner Fred Thompson

• 3rd Period
• Hillary Clinton (D) 10
• Fred Thompson (R) 7
• Independent 7
• Winner Hillary Clinton

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Election Results V.P.

• 1st Period
• Barack Obama (D) 13
• Mike Huckabee (R) 6
• Independent 3
• Winner Barack Obama

• 3rd Period
• Barack Obama (D) 16
• Mike Huckabee (R) 6
• Independent 2
• Winner Barack Obama

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Election Results- NC Governor

• 1st Period
• Beverly Perdue (D) 13
• Roy Cooper (R) 6
• Independent 3
• Winner Beverly Perdue

• 3rd Period
• Beverly Perdue (D) 16
• Roy Cooper (R) 5
• Independent 3
• Winner Beverly Perdue

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NC Superior Court

• 1st Period
• Howard Manning (R) 10
• Jane Doe (D) 9
• Independent 3
• Winner Howard Manning

• 3rd Period
• Howard Manning (R) 21
• Jane Doe (D) 3
• Independent 0
• Winner Howard Manning

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US Senate

• 1st Period
• Elizabeth Dole (R) 12
• Carl Levin (D) 7
• Independent 3
• Winner Elizabeth Dole

• 3rd Period
• Elizabeth Dole(R) 17
• Carl Levin (D) 6
• Independent 1
• Winner Elizabeth Dole

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Proposal A

• 1st Period
• Proposal A
• Yes 7
• No 15
• Measure Did Not Pass

• 3rd Period
• Proposal A
• Yes 3
• No 21
• Measure Did Not Pass

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Proposal B

• 1st Period
• Yes 9
• No 13

• 3rd Period
• Yes 3
• No 21

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Proposal C

• 1st Period
• Yes 1
• No 21

• 3rd Period
• Yes 5
• No 19

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The People Have Decided

• Hillary Clinton (D) President-Elect
• Barack Obama (D) Vice President-Elect
• Governor Elect (D) Beverly Perdue
• Superior Court Judge Howard Manning (R)
• US Senate Elizabeth Dole (R)
• Proposals (None Passed)