Objective 4.02The Election Process

Voting Amendments

• 15th – Cannot deny right to vote due to race

• 19th – Cannot deny right to vote due to sex/gender

• 24th – eliminated the poll tax• 26th – 18-20 year olds can vote

Voter Qualifications

• Must be a citizen of the U.S.• Must be a legal resident of state• Must be atleast 18 years old• Must be mentally and physically

competent• Cannot be a felon

Political Cartoon

Questions

1. What statement is the cartoonist trying to convey about voting?

2. Define APATHY.3. Why do you think people in America

are so apathetic about voting?

Who is nominated?

• Well-known public records/elected office

• Large state governors/or senators• Protestants• Pleasing appearance• Appear happily married/attractive

family• Well-developed speaking ability• Male

Nominating Process

1. Caucus2. Primary

• Open• Closed

3. National Convention4. General Election

1. Caucus

• Members of a party meet independently to select the candidate.

• Only registered party members may participate

2. Primary Election

•Primary Elections•A small election to narrow down a field of candidates.

• No candidate has decided to run against Barak Obama, however the Republicans have to continue primary elections until one candidate receives 1,144 delegate votes

Primary Elections

• Closed primaries – only party members may vote (26 states and DC)

• Open primary – every registered voter can vote, you choose the party ballot (24 states)

• Blanket Primary – “wide open” all voters may vote for any candidate from all the contenders regardless of the party (3 states)

National Convention

• Large scale event used to announce the party’s nomination

• Democrat National Convention will held in Charlotte, NC this year. Barak Obama will be announced as the Democrat Presidential candidate

• Republican National Convention will be held in Tampa Bay, Florida. One candidate will be selected to go against Obama for the general election

General Elections

• What? • Elects candidates to office

• When? • First Tuesday after the first Monday in

November.

Electoral College

Electoral College in the United States

• Electoral College – Formally elect president

• 538 members •Same number as the members of the

House (435) + Senate (100) + 3 votes in Washington DC (Amendment 23)

•NC has 15 Electors (2 Senate + 13 House)

Electoral College in the United States

• President needs 270 votes to win (majority = 51%)

• Vote = Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December

• Winner takes all system – the candidate with the most votes in the state take all of the Electoral votes

• If there is no majority winner, the House of Representatives selects the President /Senate selects the VP

Electoral College

• How many electoral votes must someone win to become president?

• Why?• What does it mean that the

Electoral College has a winner-take-all system?

• Why might some candidates avoid the lower populated states?

Steps to Become President

• Step 1• Be at least 35 years old and a citizen

born in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the US Virgin Islands (or to American parents abroad). You also need to have been a US resident for at least 14 years.

Steps to Become President

• Step 2• Hold a law degree. Out of 44

presidents, 26 have been lawyers. It also helps to have government service on your resume. 17 governors, 16 senators, and 19 members of the House of Representatives have become president.

Steps to Become President

• Step 3• Start raising money—lots of it---for

your campaign. You’ve got a long way to go. The Bush-Cheney ticket, for example, spent $186 million campaigning in 2000. Barack Obama's presidential campaign raised $745 million and spent over $16 million on online advertising alone!

Obama Fund Raising

Steps to Become President

• Step 4• Gather a bright, devoted and tireless

campaign staff, including strategists, spokespeople and speechwriters.

Obama Campaign Trail

Steps to Become President

• Step 5• Campaign like crazy before and during

your party’s primaries and caucuses. They begin in January of each election year.

Steps to Become President

• Step 6• Name your running mate. When you look at

potential candidates for vice president, take into consideration the voting block he or she is supported by and can help deliver (the South, the labor vote, women, senior citizens, military veterans, etc.). If your experience is weak in certain areas, your running mate can strengthen it with his or her own background. Bottom line: Pick someone who would be a good president should you die or otherwise leave office.

Steps to Become President

• Step 7• Win the majority of delegates who

will vote at your party’s national convention. If you don’t have more than half in your camp going into the convention, work on the unpledged delegates. These include high raking party members, governors, and congressional representatives.

Steps to Become President

• Step 8• Celebrate your campaign victory, and

campaign like crazy all over the country until elections in November

Steps to Become President

• Step 9• Win a majority of the Electoral

College, which isn’t the same thing as the popular vote. There are 538 electoral votes, and you.

Steps to Become President

• Step 10• Practice reciting the oath for the

inaugural ceremony on January 20: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Propaganda

•Definition:•A way to persuade or influence voters

• Endorsements• Glittering

Generalities• Bandwagon• Stack Cards• Name Calling• “Just Plain Folks”• Symbols

Propaganda (pg. 274)

• Endorsements – someone famous will support a candidate.

Propaganda (pg. 274)

• Glittering Generality – a statement that sounds good, but is essentially meaningless.

Propaganda (pg. 274)

• Bandwagon – urges people to follow the crowd.

Propaganda (pg. 274)

• Stacked Cards – only presenting one side of an issue

Propaganda (pg. 274)

• Name-Calling – unpleasant statement about your opposing candidate

Propaganda (pg. 274)

• “Just Plain Folks” – candidates will present themselves as the everyday American citizen.

Propaganda (pg.274)

• Symbols– using and misusing popular symbols when appealing to the public

Voter Registration

• To be eligible to vote, you must be at least 18, a resident of the state for a specified time, and a U.S. citizen.

• In most states, like North Carolina, you must also be registered to vote.

• Registration is a very easy process. The easiest way to register in NC is to go to the DMV. Motor-Voter Act.

Election Terms

•Voting Districts•Polling place•Precinct•Board of Elections•National Convention

Steps in Voting

• To vote, you go to the polling place, a location in your precinct, or voting district.

• You fill out and sign an application form at the clerk’s table. The clerk reads your name aloud and passes your application to a challenger’s table.

• The challenger looks up your registration form and compares your signature to the one on your application. If they do not appear to match, the challenger may ask for more identification.

Special Elections

• Recall Election• Initiative• Referendum

Initiative

•Citizens can propose new laws or state constitutional amendments through an initiative.

•If enough voters sign a petition, the proposed law, or proposition, is put on the ballot at the next general election.

Referendum

•Citizens may petition to have a state or local law referred, or sent back, to the voters as a referendum on the ballot.

•The voters can then approve or reject the law.

Recall Election

•A recall is a special election in which citizens can vote to remove an official from office.

•Why might voters recall an official?

Blooper

Campaign Funding

• A campaign for a major office takes a lot of money.

• Parties raise money for the campaign and help get the candidates’ views across to the public.

• They make sure supporters are registered to vote and actually vote.

Political Action Committee (PAC)

• Organizations established to support political candidates by giving $

• PACs support candidates who favor their position on issues by contributing to their parties.

Political Machine• It is an unofficial system of

a political organization based on patronage and the spoils system.

• Machines often have a boss like “Boss” Tweed in NYC in the late 1800s.

• Often times these political machines are corrupt, like in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.