Topic 2: Voting & Elections (Part 1)

Part 1: The Right to Vote & Qualifications

How have voting rights changed over time?What restrictions exist on the States’ power

to set qualifications?What are the universal requirements for

voting in the US?What other requirements have States

used or still use as qualifications?

Voting Rights History

The Constitution purposely left the power to set suffrage qualifications to each State.

Suffrage & Franchise means the right to vote. The electorate is all of the people entitled to vote. Initially, suffrage was limited to white male

property owners.

Today, the American electorate is over 200 million.

Nearly all citizens at least 18 years old can qualify to vote.

Extending Suffrage

5. 1971: 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18.

1. Early 1800s: religious, property, and tax payment qualifications gradually eliminated.

2. 1870: 15th Amendment intended to end race-based voting requirements.

3. 1920: 19th Amendment extends suffrage to women.

4. 1960s: ‘65: Voting Rights Act guaranteed minorities’ right to vote.

’64: 24th Amendment eliminated the poll tax.

The 5 Stages of Suffrage Expansion:

Voter Qualifications

Constitution sets limits on States’ voter qualifications:

restrict voting based on race

require payment

deprive women of right to vote

deprive those at least 18 years old of right to vote

The States Cannot…

Universal Requirements

3 Voter Eligibility Requirements

CitizenshipMost States require US

citizenship ResidenceMost States require

residency for minimum amounts of time

Age26th Amendment requires

that no State set a minimum voting age above 18.

Other Qualifications

All states except North Dakota require citizens to register to vote. Registration is a procedure of

voter ID intended to prevent fraud.

States also restrict certain members of the population, such as those mentally incompetent or convicted of serious crimes.

Political Participation and Awareness in America

Nonvoters

Only 64 %of eligible voters cast ballots in the 2004 presidential election.

Voter turnout significantly decreases in off-year elections, congressional elections held in years without a presidential election. 46% in 2006

Part 2: Voter Behavior

What is the nonvoting problem and what is its scope?

Why do people not vote?How can we compare the voting behavior

of voters and nonvoters?What are the sociological and

psychological factors that affect voting?

Why People Do Not Vote

“Cannot” nonvoters: physical or mental illness unexpected travel resident alien citizenship status

“Will not” nonvoters voting is inconvenient, “vote doesn’t count” distrust politics and political

candidates

Voters and Voting Behavior

We learn about voting behavior from:

The results of elections—studying the results of voting compared to the population make-up of a particular sector

The field of survey research— conducting polls across specific cross sections of the population

Studies of political socialization—studying political socialization, the process by which people gain their political attitudes and opinions

Sociological Factors“Society’s Influence”

Income andOccupation

Education Gender and Age

Religious andEthnic Background

Geography Family and OtherGroups

Voter opinion is a combination of all of these factors and more.

Psychological Factors

Party IdentificationThe loyalty of people to a

party is the most significant and lasting predictor of how they vote.

Candidates and IssuesCandidates and issues are

two short-term factors that can influence even the most loyal Democrat or Republican.