VOTING BEHAVIOR

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• VOTING BEHAVIOR

Ch. 6
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Section 1 The Right To Vote

• What does SUFFRAGE mean?

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Section 1 The Right To Vote

• Who is the ELECTORATE?

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Section 1 The Right To Vote

• Why is voting a POLITICAL right, and not a CIVIL
  right?

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VOTING AMENDMENTS

• 1870 15th Gave the vote to
• 1920 19th Gave the vote to
• 1961 23rd Gave the vote to
• 1964 24th Eliminated the _____ tax in federal
  elections.
• 1971 26th Lowered the minimum voting age from
  ____ to ____.

African-Americans
Women
People living in D.C. for the Electoral College
poll
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What level of government is responsible for
setting voting qualifications?

• The States!

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What were some early voting qualifications in the
late 1700s and early 1800s?

• Male
• White
• Protestant
• Property Owners
• Born in colonies/states.

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Section 2 Voter Qualifications

• What 3 absolute qualifications in order to vote,
  do all states require?
• Citizenship must be a U.S. citizen.
• Residency most states require 30 days.
• Age Must be at least 18 years old.

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Section 2 Voter Qualifications

• What is another qualification imposed by 49
  states?
• Registration
• I knew you were going to ask!
• North Dakota
• Registration is permanent until you move, die,
  are convicted of a felony, put in a mental
  institution, or fail to vote in 2 consecutive
  presidential elections. (Harris County purges
  the rolls every 4 years.)

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Texas Voter Registration Card
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Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008)

• Facts of the Case
• In 2005, the Indiana Legislature passed a law
  requiring all voters who cast a ballot in person
  to present a photo ID issued by the United States
  or the State of Indiana. Plaintiffs including the
  local Democratic Party and interest groups
  representing minority and elderly citizens argued
  that the law constituted an undue burden on the
  right to vote. At trial, the plaintiffs did not
  produce any witnesses who claimed they would be
  unable to meet the laws requirements. The
  district court and the court of appeals both
  upheld the law. However, the three-judge
  appellate panel was deeply divided. Dissenting
  Judge Terrence Evans claimed that the law was a
  thinly-veiled attempt to dampen turnout by those
  likely to vote for Democratic candidates.
• Question
• Does a law that requires voters to present either
  a state or federal photo identification unduly
  burden citizens right to vote?

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Crawford v. Marion County Election Board (2008)

• Conclusion
• By a vote of 6 to 3, the Court upheld the law,
  concluding that the photo I.D. requirement was
  closely related to Indiana's legitimate state
  interests in preventing voter fraud. The slight
  burden the law imposed on voters' rights did not
  outweigh these interests, which the Court
  characterized as "neutral and nondiscriminatory."
  Although there was no majority opinion, the
  Court's decision included concurring opinions
  written by Justices John Paul Stevens and Antonin
  Scalia. Justices David Souter and Stephen Breyer
  each wrote dissenting opinions. Justice Ruth
  Bader Ginsburg joined Justice Souter's dissent.

http//www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2007/2007_07_2
1/
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2008 Supreme Court Decision
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• Texas Legislature tried to pass a similar law in
  2007 2009.
• VOTER ID The bill would have required voters to
  present photo identification to be able to vote
  to prevent voter fraud.
• The Texas Legislature failed to pass the bill in
  either session, but Republicans have vowed to
  keep trying and will likely present another bill
  in the 2011 session.

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Voter Qualifications and Laws used to
discriminate against Blacks, Hispanics, and poor
whites.

• Literacy Tests
• Must show an ability to read write.
• Eliminated by the VRA 1970.
• Poll Tax
• Special tax to vote.
• Eliminated by the 24th Amd. in 1964.
• Grandfather Clause
• Allowed men to register to vote ONLY IF they
  could have voted
• in 1867 (before Af-Am. were allowed to vote in
  the S.), or you
• were a decedent from a 1867 voter.
• Eliminated in 1915, by a SCt decision upholding
  the 15th Amd.

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What is GERRYMANDERING?

• How does it apply to voting?

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CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS VOTING

• CRAs OF 1957
• 1960
• 57 Set up U.S. CR Commission
• 60 Provided for the appointment of federal
  referees.

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CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS VOTING

• CRA OF 1964
• 64 Forbids the use of voter reg. or lit. reqs.
  in an unfair or disc. manner.

X
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CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS VOTING

• VRA OF 1965
• 65 Made the 15th Amd. truly effective. Applied
  it to ALL elections. Required preclearance of
  changes or new voting laws by the DOJ.

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CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS VOTING

• VRA 1970 AMD.
• Extended the VRA for 5 years. No state could use
  lit. tests as a voting req.

• VRA 1975 AMD.
• Extended the VRA for 7 years. 5 yr. Ban on lit.
  test was now permanent.

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CIVIL RIGHTS LAWS VOTING

• VRA 1982 AMD.
• Extended the basic features of the VRA for 25
  years.

• VRA 2006 AMD.
• Extended the VRA for another 25 years.

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Section 4 Voter Behavior

• Study the Chart on p. 165 and answer
• Why did the overall size of the voting population
  increase dramatically between 1970 1972?
• What percentage of the population that was
  eligible to vote in 2000, cast votes for Pres.?
• What percentage of the population that was
  eligible to vote in 2000, cast votes for U.S.
  Rep.?
• Why the difference if both races on the same
  ballot?
• Look at the percentage of people who cast a vote
  for U.S. Rep. in the years 1998 2000. Why is
  there such a difference?

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Section 4 Voter Behavior

• CANNOT VOTERS
• Resident Aliens
• Ill
• Traveling
• Mental health issues
• Incarcerated
• Religious beliefs

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Section 4 Voter Behavior

• CHOOSE NOT TO VOTERS
• Believe their vote wont make a difference
• Distrust politicians
• Lack of political efficacy
• Cumbersome election procedures
• Election Day is a work day
• Time-zone fallout
• Lack of interest/apathy/civic duty has declined
• Weather Issues

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Your vote wont make a difference, huh?
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Your vote wont make a difference, huh?

• Just remember that George W. Bush won the 2000
  presidential election by only 537 votes out of
  millions cast!
• 537 more votes than Gore in FL.

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States are trying to fix the problem of
cumbersome voting procedures.
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Why would people take the effort to register
Texas REGISTERED Voters 11,677,018
Texas ACTUAL Voters in 2008 8,086,684
and then not vote???
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Can the U.S. make voting compulsory. Why or why
not?

• NO! We are a democracy!

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What does POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION mean?

• Ways in which you obtain your political views.

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SOCIOLOGICAL FACTORS

• Income, Occupation
• Education
• Gender, Age
• Religion, Ethnic Background
• Geography
• Family other groups

Which is the most influential?
Family other groups
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Voter Turnout in Pres. Elections
Presidential Year Percent
1960 63.1
1964 61.9
1968 60.8
1972 55.2
1976 53.6
1980 52.6
1984 53.1
1988 50.1
1992 55.1
1996 49.1
2000 51.3
2004 55.3
2008 61.7
Highest since 1964!
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PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS

• Party Identification
• Candidates Issues

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Who is more likely to vote

• Democrat?
• Middle/lower income
• Less education
• Manual labor
• Women/younger
• Catholics/Jews
• Minorities
• NE states/inner cities

• Republican?
• Higher income
• More education
• Professional
• Men/older
• Protestants
• Whites
• South/Midwest/rural/
• suburban

2008 EC Map
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2008 Presidential ElectionObama v. McCain
2008 Shifts
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Priorities of Voters
1940s 1980s 2000s
Political Party Issues
Group Affiliations Candidate
Candidate Group Affiliations
Issues Political Party
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Priorities of Voters
1940s 1980s 2000s
Political Party Issues Candidate
Group Affiliations Candidate Issues
Candidate Group Affiliations Political Party
Issues Political Party Group Affiliations
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How Can Voter Turnout Be Increased?

• Registration could be simpler.
• Make election day a national holiday.
• Develop a phone-in or internet system for voting.
• Provide transportation to the polls.
• Income tax deduction for voters.

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Should we care if lots of people DONT vote?

• Is it a problem?

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Why do so few 18-24 year olds vote?

• More focused on personal issues.
• Dont quite get ithow government effects their
  lives.

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How can we increase the number of younger voters?

• MTVChoose or Loose
• Musicians
• Rock the Vote
• WWESmack Down Your Vote
• Myspace.com
• Facebook.com
• YouTube.com