Elections and Voting

Election Day USA Federal elections are held on the first Tuesday in November of every even numbered year Every federal election we vote for our Representatives and 1/3 of the Senators Every 4 years we vote for President

3 Special elections Initiatives – Ideas that come from the public and are voted on during elections Referendums – Ideas that come from lawmakers that are voted on directly by the public Recalls – A special election called to remove an elected official from office

Elections Primary Elections – Purpose: to determine who will represent the party in the General election Ex: Hillary Clinton v. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination General Elections – Purpose: vote between the nominees of the different party Ex: Mitt Romney(R) v. Barack Obama (D)

Open and Closed primaries Closed primary: – Only registered party members can vote Open primary: – Any registered voter can vote, regardless of party Runoff: – In most states, a candidate needs a plurality – In some, candidate needs a majority

Presidential Elections LO 13.2: Outline the electoral procedures for presidential and general elections. LO 13.2: Outline the electoral procedures for presidential and general elections. Primaries and Caucuses Delegates to convention chosen by election or caucus. Elections may be winner-take- all or proportional. Caucuses are better for the party organization. Trend toward front-loading. Trend toward front-loading To Learning Objectives

Figure 13.1: When do states choose their nominee for president? Back To Learning Objectives

The Electoral College The framers created the electoral college because they were afraid voters would be uninformed on national elections How does it work? – Each state has a set number of electoral votes (# of Reps + # of Senators) – Whichever candidate gets the most votes in a state gets ALL of the electoral votes – You need 270 to win – If no one gets 270, the House of Representatives picks the President

Electing a President: The Electoral College Representatives from each state who select president. Electors equivalent to senators plus representatives. Electors equivalent to senators plus representatives. Framers favored system to remove power from people. The 1876 and 2000 elections raised concerns about system. LO 13.2 To Learning Objectives

Figure 13.2: How is voting power apportioned in the Electoral College? Back To Learning Objectives

The Big Question… Do we still need the electoral college? – Many argue that with modern elections and vote counting, the person who earns a plurality of the votes should win – Candidates don ’ t campaign in states they don ’ t think they can win – What do you think?

Voters and Voting Behavior Def: Electorate – The electorate is defined as all eligible registered voters Def: Absentee Voting – If you will be out of your voting area on election day, you can file an absentee ballot

Congressional Elections LO 13.3: Compare and contrast congressional and presidential elections, and explain the incumbency advantage. LO 13.3: Compare and contrast congressional and presidential elections, and explain the incumbency advantage. The Incumbency Advantage Support from a paid staff. Incumbents are more visible. “Scaring off” other challengers. – name recognition – large war chests – free constituency mailings – Previous campaign experience To Learning Objectives

Why Incumbents Lose Redistricting can pit incumbents against one another. Scandals. Presidential coattails. Midterm elections. LO 13.3 To Learning Objectives

Patterns in Vote Choice LO 13.4: Identify seven factors that influence voter choice. LO 13.4: Identify seven factors that influence voter choice. Party identification Ideology Income and education Race and ethnicity Gender Religion Issues Many factors Many factors impact voter choice. To Learning Objectives

What influences how people vote? In general: – Education Less = DMore = R – Gender Female = DMale = R – Race White = RAf Am = DLat = ?? – Income Lower = DHigher = R – Religion Protestant = RCatholic, Jewish = D – Geography South = RNortheast = D West Coast = DHeartland/West = R Midwest = ???

Voter Turnout LO 13.5: Identify six factors that affect voter turnout. LO 13.5: Identify six factors that affect voter turnout. States regulate voter eligibility. Factors that affect voter turnout: – Income and education – Race and ethnicity Race and ethnicity – Gender – Age – Civil engagement – Interest in politics To Learning Objectives

Toward Reform: Problems with Voter Turnout LO 13.6: Explain why voter turnout is low, and evaluate methods for improving voter turnout. LO 13.6: Explain why voter turnout is low, and evaluate methods for improving voter turnout. Voter turnout in the United States is low. Why?Why? – Other commitments: People are too busy. – Difficulty of registration – Number of elections – Voter attitudes: apathy, satisfaction, lack of a pressing issue – Weakened influence of political parties To Learning Objectives

Analyzing Visuals: Why people Don’t Vote Back To Learning Objectives

Ways to Improve Voter Turnout Make Election Day a Holiday Enable Early Voting Permit Mail and Online Voting Make Registration Easier Modernize the Ballot Strengthen Parties LO 13.6 To Learning Objectives