Voter Behavior (6.4)

Non-voter Problems

Size

• 2000 Presidential Election– 105.4 million voted/205.8 million eligible voters = 51.2%• Do you really have a majority if only half of all eligible voters

actually voted?

• 2008 Presidential Election– 131.3 million voted/208.3 million eligible voters = 63%

• Mid-term elections typically have even lower voter turnouts

Size

• Millions of those that vote for president DO NOT vote in congressional elections– Even bigger problem in state/local elections

• Higher voter turnout in state elections held the same year as presidential election

Non-voter numbers

• “Cannot-voters” numbers include:– Non-U.S. citizens – Physically/mentally disabled/ill voters– Traveling voters– Imprisoned voters– Voters that don’t vote based on their religious beliefs

Why do people not vote?

• Actual non-voters– 2000: 80 million voters that could have voted, but chose

not to– Lack of interest– Some do not go b/c they feel their vote makes no impact

on the election– Others are satisfied w/current political situation– Growing number distrust current political situation

Why do people not vote?

• Cumbersome election procedures– Inconvenient registration times– Long lines/ballots

• “Time zone fallout”– Voters in Eastern/Central time zones vote before

Mountain/Western time zones– Many media outlets will declare election winners based

on E/C time zones before those in W go vote

Voters vs. non-voters

Voters• Higher levels of

income/education/occupations

• Integrated into community life

• Long-time residents

• Believe voting is important

Non-voters• Younger than 35, unmarried,

unskilled, male

• Live in the South or rural areas

• Display general lack of political efficacy– Sense of their own influence on

the political process

Activity

• 1924 – Native Americans granted citizenship

• 1840 – All white males vote

• 1961 – D.C. citizens vote• 1870 – 15th Amendment– All men vote

• 1964 – 24th Amendment– Prohibited poll tax

• 1986 – Uniformed/overseas citizens vote absentee

• 1971 – 26th Amendment– Voting age est. 18 yrs. old

• 1920 – 19th Amendment– All men/women vote

• 1965 – VRA 1965

• What was the most important law? Why?

The Electoral Process

The Nominating Process

Nomination

• Prime function of political parties

• 1 reason why U.S. has 2 major PP

• Voters only have to decide b/w 2 choices

Types of Nominations

Self-Announcement

• Oldest form of nomination in U.S.

• Originated in colonial times, continues today in small, rural areas

Self-Announcement

George Wallace (1968) Eugene McCarthy (1968)

Self-Announcement

John Anderson (1980) Ross Perot (1992, 1996)

The Caucus

• Group of like-minded people meeting to select candidates they’ll support in an election

• Used before political parties began to take over the nomination process

• Still used in some form in New England

The Convention

• Replaced the caucus method

• First convention used by Anti-Mason Party (1831)

• Whig Party used convention later in 1831

• Democrats used convention in 1832

Direct Primary

• Intra-party election to determine party candidates

• First adopted by WI (1903)– Every state currently uses the primary in some form

• 2 types:– Closed– Open

Closed primary

• Party election where only party members can participate– Party membership established by voter registration

• Used by 27 states & D.C.

Open primary

• Party election where any qualified voter can participate– Used in 23 states

• Some states give voter ballot of candidates for both parties (private choice)

• Other states make voters ask for ballot of party primary they are voting in (public declaration)

Blanket primary

• Form of open primary

• All voters receive same ballot of ALL candidates for ALL offices– Voters can vote for whomever they choose

• WA law still allows for blanket primary

Presidential primary

• Party election choosing presidential candidates

• Party elects some/all party delegates for natl. convention