Voters and Voter Behavior

Ch. 6 Notes

Some Terms

• Suffrage and Franchise – Same meaning, the right to vote.

• Disenfranchised – Those who do not have the right to vote or whose right to vote is being denied.

• Electorate – The potential voting population; The total population who have the qualifications and the right to vote.

Voting Qualifications

• Citizenship– Must be a citizen of the US.– States could allow “aliens” to vote but none do so

currently.– “Naturalized Citizens” could face State restrictions,

but that is rare.

• Residency– Must be a legal resident in the state in which you

intend to vote.– Domicile – location of PRIMARY residence.– Must live in the state for a certain length of time

prior to voting.

Voting Age

• The age requirement is 18 for national elections.

• States have the reserved right to set age requirements in state or local elections; very rare instances.

• Primary elections are usually the only exceptions.

Registration

• Registration is the process of voter identification used to prevent voter fraud.

• Without careful registration records, ineligible votes might take place, some may try to vote more than once or vote in multiple places.

The Disenfranchised

• Historically, many groups of people! Examples??

• Non-citizens.• Persons committed to mental institutions and

the mentally disabled.• Convicted felons, for varying lengths of time

depending on the states.

Gerrymandering

• Gerrymandering– The practice of drawing the boundaries of voting

districts in order to limit the voting power of particular parties or groups.

Voting Laws• End voter discrimination.• Federal Government given greater powers to

enforce voter laws. Power taken out of the hands of the states.

• Force States to allow “open” voter registration without fear of intimidation or violence.

• End literacy tests as qualification for voter registration.

• End “poll taxes” – pay to vote rules. Ended by the 24th amendment.

• Essentially, put an end to Jim Crowism!

Voting in 2008

• About 60% of the electorate actually voted.• That number is a little higher than average for

the past 40+ years.• Why a higher number in 2008?

Ballot Fatigue

• Non-voting increases as the voter gets further down the ballot.

• Running out of time, patience or knowledge about the candidates or the offices they seek to fill.

Cannot Voters

• Resident Aliens• **Too sick or disabled.• **Traveling• Mental Health• Imprisonment• Religious beliefs• Military dishonorable discharge.• ** = There are solutions for these problems.

Voter Apathy

• Discusses already

Voter Turnout (participation)1968-2008

• Participation declined from 1968-1992.• 1992 only a brief increase. Any ideas why a

brief increase?• Decline again 1992-2004.• Increasing from 2004-Present. Any ideas why

an increase?

Gender and Age

• Democrats are more likely to be hurt by low voter turnout among voters 18-30.

• Young voters tend to vote for Democrats, therefore young voters who do not vote tend to hurt Democratic candidates.

• The same is typically true among female voters.

Split-Ticket Voting

• Split-Ticket Voting is the practice of voting for candidates in more than one political party. – Example, Dem. Candidate for Pres. but Republican

candidates for US Senate or Governor.– Split-Ticket voting is increasing in popularity as

voters have less loyalty to any one party.• Straight-Ticket Voting, therefore, is the

practice of voting for all candidates from any one party.

Independents and their effect on Parties.

• Voters who have no party affiliation. No particular loyalty to any one party.

• The two major parties have become increasingly similar in that they focus on the same issues.

• As voters become increasingly fed up with partisanship, they tend to think for themselves, not what the party tells them.

• The parties will have to change strategies to win the vote of the independents.

That’s All for Now!!