Download - Voters & Voter Behavior
CHAPTER 6
Voters & Voter Behavior
PP. 152-155
Chapter 6.1: The Right to Vote
Expansion of the Electorate
At first suffrage was only granted to white male property owners 1 in 15 adult white males
Today the electorate is 230 million + Restrictions have been taken away & federal
government has taken control of suffrage laws
Extending the Suffrage
Stage 1=States eliminated religious requirements & property-owning requirements
Stage 2=15th Amendment (1870) allowed African American males to vote Still difficult for many blacks to vote for various
reasons—poll taxes, literacy tests, violenceStage 3=19th Amendment (1920) allowed
women to vote nationally
Extending the Suffrage
Stage 4=Civil rights movement, 1960s Civil rights acts Voting Rights Act of 1965 23rd Amendment (1961) allowed voters of Washington,
DC to vote in presidential elections 24th Amendment (1964) eliminated poll taxes
Extending the Suffrage
Stage 5=26th Amendment (1971), no state can set the minimum age for voting at more than 18 years
Vietnam War era
The Powers to Set Voting Qualifications
Constitution does not give the federal government power to set voting qualifications
Constitution does set 5 restrictions 1. If allowed to vote in state elections, you can vote in
national elections as well 2. Cannot be denied vote based on race or color 3. Cannot be denied vote based on gender 4. No state cannot require a payment of a tax in order
to vote 5. No state can deny a person the age of 18 or older
the right to vote
What’s Next?
Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote? http://prospect.org/article/making-sweet-sixteen-even-
sweeter
PP. 156-163
Chapter 6.2: Voter Qualifications
Universal Requirements
1. Citizenship—foreign-born resident who are not yet citizens are denied the right to vote
2. Residence—one must be a legal resident of the state in which he/she wishes to cast a ballot Various lengths of residency, some states require 30
days, some less, some none at all Nearly every state prohibits transients from voting
3. Age—no state can set the minimum age for voting in any election at more than 18 18-20 y.o.’s historically have low voter turnout
Registration
Process of voter identification, meant to prevent fraudulent voting
Gives election officials a list of qualified voters
Also used to identify voters with a party & provide eligibility to take part in closed primaries
Registration
Requirements: Typically a voter must provide: name, age, place or
birth, present address, length of residence Logged by a local official Registered until he/she moves, dies, convicted of a
felony, moved to a mental institution Purging of voter lists done every 2-4 years
Registration
Controversies: Some argue that registration requirements should be
dropped; argue that it hurts voter turnout Others argue that it prevents fraud
Where is the line where it is so easy to vote that fraud is encouraged, and it is so difficult that legitimate voting is discouraged?
The U.S. is the only democratic country in which each person decides whether or not to vote
“Motor Voter Act” effective in 1995 Citizens can register to vote when renewing a driver’s
license
Registration
Voter ID laws Require people to prove identity when registering to
vote Usually sponsored by Republican-controlled states Intended to prevent fraud, but opponents say they are
designed to prevent certain groups from voting Elderly, disabled, poor, & minority groups
What about voter ID laws? Fair or unfair? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/
2013/03/26/the-countrys-voter-id-laws-in-1-map/
Literacy Tests
Today no state has voter qualifications based on literacy
Aimed at limiting certain groups from voting: Irish Americans, African Americans
Grandfather clausesSC banned literacy tests as voter requirement in
1970 Oregon v. Mitchell
*See “Can You Answer These?” on p. 162*
Tax Payments
Property ownership was once a common voter requirement
Some state required voters to pay a special tax or a poll tax Still in use in AL, MS, TX, & VA in 1966 despite the
24th AmendmentTaxing requirements are now gone
Persons Denied the Vote
People in mental institutions and/or people who are found to be mentally incompetent
People convicted of serious crimes In many states convicted felons can regain the right to
voteSome states do not allow people dishonorably
discharged from the military to vote
PP. 164-168
Chapter 6.3: Suffrage & Civil Rights
Terms to Know
15th AmendmentGerrymanderingCivil Rights Act of 1964Voting Rights Act of 1965
*See timeline on pp. 166-167*
PP. 170-178
Chapter 6.4:Voter Behavior
Nonvoting
Only 61% of eligible voters voted in 2008 election; roughly 57% in 2012
Typically rates are much lower in off-year elections
“Nonvoting voters” For example: vote for president, but not for members
of Congress“Ballot fatigue,” voters exhaust
patience/knowledge as they work down the ballot
Why People Do Not Vote
“Cannot voters”—resident aliens, ill/physically disabled, traveling suddenly/unexpectedly, mentally disabled, prisoners
Why People Do Not Vote
Actual Nonvoters—Many are convinced their vote makes no difference Many in this group lack political efficacy
Political efficacy—one’s own influence or effectiveness on politics
Cumbersome procedures, long lines, bad weather, etc. “Time-zone fallout”—discourages voting on West
Coast Lack of interest, indifference
Voters Nonvoters
High incomeEducatedLong-time residentsSense of party
identificationArea where there is
competition between parties
YoungerLess educationLower payRural localesMen, more so than
women
Voters vs. Nonvoters
Voting Behavior
What we know about voter behavior comes from 3 sources:
1. Results of previous elections2. The field of survey research
Gallup Organization & Pew Research3. Political Socialization
The process by which people gain their political attitudes & opinions
Voting Behavior
Sociological factors that influence voters:1. Income & occupation
Lower=Democrat Higher=Republican Professionals w/ higher incomes tend to vote for GOP
candidates Manual laborers tend to vote for Democrats
Voting Behavior
Education College graduates vote for Republicans in higher
percentages than high school gradsGender
Women tend to favor Democrats—5-10% Men often give GOP same edge
“Gender gap” Topics men & women tend to vote differently on:
Abortion, health care, social welfare programs, military involvement
Voting Behavior
Age Younger voters prefer Democrats Older voters prefer Republicans
In ‘08 Obama won 66% of the 30 & under voteReligion
Protestants prefer the GOP Catholics & Jews vote for Democrats
‘08 election supported these trends 55% of voters that went to church once/week voted for
McCain in ‘08
Voting Behavior
Race/Ethnicity African Americans tend to vote for Democrats
Had voted for Republicans from 1860s to 1930s Why the shift?
Latinos typically favor Democrats
Voting Behavior
Geography Post-Civil War the South had voted for Democrats
Now the South is controlled by the GOP States that have most consistently been Republican:
Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming ‘64 was the last time AK, ID, KS, NE, ND, OK, SD, UT, WY voted
for a Democratic presidential candidate (LBJ) Democrats have controlled New England over past two
decades
Voters in small cities & rural areas tend to vote Republican Urban residents prefer Democrats
Presidential Elections—1980-2012
What trends do you see?Which states always vote the same?Which states tend to go back & forth?http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/
showelection.php?year=1980
Voter Behavior
Family/Groups Typically 9 out of 10 married couples have the same
political leanings As many as 2 out of 3 voters follow the political
attachments of their parents A person’s group associations reinforce the opinions
he/she already has
Voting Behavior
Psychological Factors (perception of politics):Party Identification
Some times little or no regard to issues or candidates Single-most significant & lasting indicator of voter behavior Straight-ticket voting Split-ticket voting his been on the rise since the ‘60s Today there are large number of people who call
themselves “independents” 1/3 to ¼ of all voters Important in close elections Typical independent today=young, above average education,
above average income
Voting Behavior
Psychological Factors:Candidates & Issues
Personality, character, appearance, style past record, ability
Important issues recent elections: recession, Iraq & Afghanistan Wars, immigration, health care