1. Voter Behavior
Chapter 6 section 4

2. Non-Voting There are lower rates of voting in the off-year elections
Non-voting voters: voting for one office on the ballot but not all of them. Also called “ballot fatigue”

3. Why people do not vote
Cannot-voters: not legally allowed to vote or cannot vote
(aliens); ill or disabled; travelers; mentally unstable; incarcerated, religious prohibitions; racial bias
Actual non-voters:could have voted but did not.
Those that believe the system works fine and things will be great regardless of if they vote
Those that scorn the system and do not trust the political process
Those that have no sense of political efficacy

4. Other factors affecting voting
Cumbersome election procedures
Bad weather
“Time-zone fallout”
Lack of interest (apathy)

5. Comparing voters and non-voters
Voters: higher levels of income, education, and occupational status, well integrated into community life, long-time residents who are active in their community, strong sense of party identification, believe voting is important.
Non-voters: younger than 35, unmarried, unskilled, live in the South and in rural areas.

6. Sociological factors that impact voting (trends)
Income, occupation
Higher income = Republican
Education
More education = more liberal (depending)
Gender, age
Women-Democrat; Men-Republican
Younger- Democrat; Older- Republican

7. Factors that influence voters cont’d
Religion, Ethnic Background
Protestants: Republican; Catholics/Jews: Democrat
African Americans: Democrat
Latinos: Democrat
Geography
Southerners: used to be Democrat now Republican
Smaller cities and rural areas = Republican
Family and Other Groups
Family members typically vote in similar ways
Married couples usually vote in similar ways

8. Psychological Factors
Party identification: the most significant predictor of how a person will vote