Copyright, 2000 © Prentice Hall Magruder’s American Government C H A P T E R 6 Voters and Voter Behavior

Voters and Voter Behavior C H A P T E R 6 Voters and Voter Behavior SECTION 1 The Constitution and the Right to Vote SECTION 2 Voter Qualifications Among the States SECTION 3 Suffrage and Civil Rights SECTION 4 Nonvoting SECTION 5 Voter Behavior Chapter 6

Chapter 6, Section 1 The Constitution and the Right to Vote S E C T I O N 1 The Constitution and the Right to Vote The Constitution contains little about the right to vote and leaves most suffrage qualifications to the States. In the nation’s early history only a very few, mostly white, property owners had the right to vote. The franchise has been extended in two major ways: (1) elimination of arbitrary restrictions (2) Federal Government’s increased involvement in voting matters

Voter Qualifications Among the States S E C T I O N 2 Voter Qualifications Among the States Every State requires that voters be both citizens and residents. Voters must register to vote in every State but one, and residence requirements have been reduced to 30 days in most States. New federal civil rights laws and court actions eliminated discriminatory poll taxes and literacy tests used to deny voting privileges. Chapter 6, Section 2

Chapter 6, Section 3 Suffrage and Civil Rights S E C T I O N 3 Suffrage and Civil Rights The 15th Amendment ensures that voting rights will not be denied because of race. The basic statute that protects voting rights from race-based actions is the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Nonvoting S E C T I O N 4 Nonvoting At least half of all eligible voters do not vote in most elections in this country. There are many reasons why citizens don’t vote but the chief reason is a lack of interest. Approximately one in every five persons who does not vote is, in fact, legally ineligible to vote. Chapter 6, Section 4

Voter Behavior S E C T I O N 5 Voter Behavior Millions of Americans do vote and their votes are influenced by a number of psychological and sociological factors. Sociological factors that impact voting can include a voter’s income, occupation, education, age, and gender, as well as family, friends, and coworkers. Psychological factors are the ways a voter sees the parties, candidates, and issues in an election. Chapter 6, Section 5