How Do You VOTE!

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How Do You VOTE!
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Voting Terms To Know

• Absentee voting- Not going to the poll on
  election day
• Australian Ballot- Govt. Ballot, created in
  secret and not released until election day.
  Counted by govt. officials.
• Office-block ballot- lists candidates together by
  office they are running for.
• Party-column ballot- Lists parties candidates in
  a column under the parties name.
• Precinct- Voting district.

• Split ticket voting- Split-ticket is when you
  vote for candidates from different parties in the
  same election. This kind of voting can be used as
  a form of tactical voting in countries (such as
  the United States) dominated by two parties where
  a voter is not a wholehearted supporter of either
  party. (vote for multiple parties in one
  election)

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• Straight ticket voting- Straight-ticket voting or
  straight-party voting is the practice of voting
  for candidates of the same party for multiple
  positions. For example, if a member of the
  Democratic Party in the United States votes for
  every candidate from President, Senator,
  Representative, Governor, state legislators and
  those running for local government that is a
  Democrat, this is considered straight-ticket
  voting

• (Vote for only one party)

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• Political Socialization- learn their political
  beliefs and attitudes through personal background
  and life experiences.
• Suffrage-The right to vote.
• Political Right- Conservative (usually
  Republican)
• Political Left- Liberal (usually Democrats)
• Most of us are Moderates!

• Majority- Over 50
• Plurality- The largest number of votes! (Might
  not be 50)
• At-large election- as a whole (Statewide election
  like Senators)
• Open primary- Election in which all voters may
  participate.

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• Closed primary- Election in which only voters of
  a particular political party may participate.
• Caucus- Private meeting of party leaders, where
  they choose their candidates

• General Election- Everyone votes for candidates
  National Election
• Single-member district- Electoral district in
  which only one member is elected to each office
  (President, mayor, etc.)

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• Political Party- Group of voters with common
  interests
• Coalition- Group that combines forces to
  accomplish a goal.
• Coattail effect- Ride in on the good graces or
  popularity of another candidate.

• Independent- Not a member of either Political
  Party.
• Incumbent- Elected official already in office.
• Lobbyist- Interest group representative.

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• Pressure Groups- Advocacy groups (also pressure
  groups, lobby groups and some interest groups and
  special interest groups) use various forms of
  advocacy to influence public opinion and/or
  policy they have played and continue to play an
  important part in the development of political
  and social systems.

• PACS- Political Action Committees (groups
  organized to elect or defeat political
  candidates)
• Platform- A statement of a political partys
  principals, beliefs, and positions on vital
  issues.
• Planks- Section of a Political Parties platform.
• Ticket- The Candidates for president and vice
  president

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• Electoral College- The group of voters from each
  state who elect the President and Vice-president.
• FEC- Federal Election Commission (administers and
  enforces campaign finance legislation in the
  United States

• Disclosure- Means the giving out of information,
  either voluntarily or to be in compliance with
  legal regulations or workplace rules. Especially
  in an election. (Transparency)

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National Requirements To Vote

• The issue of voting rights in the United States
  has been contentious over the country's history.
  Eligibility to vote in the U.S. is determined by
  both Federal and State law. Currently, only
  citizens can vote in U.S. elections (although
  this has not always been the case). Who is (or
  who can become) a citizen is governed on a
  national basis by Federal law. Each state,
  however, determines which citizens have the right
  to vote in that state. Basic Requirements 1) A
  Legal Citizen of the U.S. 2) You are at least 18
  years old. 3) Not a legally insane or a convicted
  felon!

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Ohio Requirements to Vote!

• 1) Must be an Ohio Resident for at least
  consecutive 30 Days.
• 2) Must Register 30 Days prior to the Election.
• Must be 18 on or before the day of the next
  General Election. (17 year old Primary Vote)
• 3) You are not incarcerated for a Felony
  Conviction!
• 4) You have not been permanently disenfranchised
  for violating the election laws.

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Simple Rules to know

• Must be registered so that you only vote 1 time
  per election.
• Where can you register?
• Office of the Secretary of State
• Any of the 88 County boards of elections
• The office of the Registrar or Deputy registrar
  of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
• Public Libraries
• Public High Schools or Vocational Schools
• County treasurers offices

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Other Places to Register

• The Department of Job and Family Services
• Department of Health
• Department of Mental Health
• The Department of Developmental Disabilities
• The Rehabilitation Services Commission
• Any state-assisted college or university that
  provides assistance to disabled students

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Now what do I do?

• Either send you registration by U.S. Mail to your
  county board of elections or Secretary of States
  Office
• You can alsoGive it to the High School Secretary
  or deliver it in person to any of the above
  officesthey must get it to the correct Office
  within 10 days of leaving your hands!

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Ok you are registered where do you vote?

• You cast your ballot at your precincts
  designated polling place between the hours of
  630 am and 730 pm. www.sos.state.oh.us
• The above web address will tell you where your
  precincts polling place is located.

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American Voting Amendments

• 15th Amendment "Race, color, or previous
  condition of servitude" (15th Amendment, 1870)
• 19th Amendment "On account of sex" (19th
  Amendment, 1920)
• 23rd Amendment to the United States Constitution
  permits citizens in the District of Columbia to
  vote for Electors for President and Vice
  President.

• 24th Amendment "By reason of failure to pay any
  poll tax or other tax" (24th Amendment, 1964)
• 26th Amendment "Who are eighteen years of age or
  older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged
  by the United States or by any state on account
  of age" (26th Amendment, 1971).

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The Electoral College Electing the President

• Election Held on the Tuesday after the first
  Monday in November.
• The President is not actually elected by the
  people! He is elected by a group of
  representatives known as the Electoral College.

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The Modern Electoral College

• Your vote goes towards your parties Electors.
• We currently have an all or nothing
  winner-take-all system.
• What this means is that the candidate that wins
  the Plurality of votes in your state gets all
  of your states electoral votes!

• Unlike the orginal system we vote for the
  President and Vice President on the same ballot.
• In order to win the election a candidate must win
  270 of the possible 538 votes.

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• Ohio is a relatively Big State when it comes to
  Electoral votes We have 18.
• However keep in mind that the Electors DO NOT
  HAVE TO VOTE LIKE THE MAJORITY VOTES! (a
  dissenter has never changed the outcome of an
  election)
• If no one candidate obtains the 270 votes needed
  to win a majority in the Electoral College than
  the Presidency is decided in the House of
  Representatives
• Each State gets 1 vote the candidate who gets
  26 votes wins!
• If the Representatives in your state cannot agree
  on a candidate then your state loses your vote.

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Arguments against changing the system

• Federalism would be underminedStates would lose
  their say in electing the President.
• If they based it on the popular vote than
  candidates would focus all their time in Big
  Citiesthe rural areas would have very little say
  in the election of their President.