AP US GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS RISE OF THE AMERICAN ELECTORATE

Voter Turnout Eligible Voters v. Registered Voters Eligible Voter Turnout Percentage Registered Voter Turnout Percentage Voting-Age Population: 2/3rds are registered to vote Stats: a. General Presidential Elections b. Midterm Elections c. Gubernatorial Elections d. Presidential Primaries e. Presidential Caucus

Voter Registration and Reserved Powers Evidence: Congressional Elections 1. “At Large” House Elections 2. Multimember House Districts 3. Elections at odd years 4. Majority vote threshold instead of today’s plurality vote threshold The Constitution only mandates that Congress can choose the day when presidential electors will gather to cast votes

Motor Voter Law (1993) 1. Facilitated Voter Registration in the following ways: Driver’s License Voter Registration through the mail Public Assistance Offices

African Americans Suffrage: State Circumvention 15 Amendment (1870) LITERACY TEST POLL TAXES WHITE PRIMARIES GRANDFATHER CLAUSE STATE CIRCUMVENTION VRA TH AMD (1964) SMITH V ALLWRIGHT (1944) GUINN V US (1915) EDU WEALTH POLITICAL AFFILIATION ANCESTRY Q

15 TH AMENDMENT (1870) Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Section. 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Return to slide

Poll Taxes 1. Imposed during Reconstruction Era-1960s 2. Fixed Tax ($1-2) on all people (including Caucasians) 3. Justification of the Poll Tax? 4. Cumulative Poll Tax 5. Those who didn’t pay the tax were rarely prosecuted— Conclusion? 6. Disenfranchised 50% of African American population 7. Disenfranchised 18-26% of Caucasians Return to slide

Literacy Tests 1. Usually contained oral, written, interpretative sand objective section % AAs Illiterate 3. Sample Literacy Test Sample Literacy Test Return to slide

Grandfather Clause 1. Condition: If your ancestor (grandfather) could vote before Tied to Literacy Tests 3. Effect: Poor Caucasians African Americans Return to slide

Voter Rights Act 1965 Two Major Components 1. Civil Service Commission and Federal Examiners 2. Elimination of ALL voting obstructions: Literacy Tests, Poll Taxes, Fraud and burdensome registration procedures Return to Slide

24 th Amendment (1964) Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax. Section 2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. How did the 24 th Amendment fall short? Return to slide

Smith v. Allwright (1944) Background Types of Institutions TX SC deemed Democratic Party of Texas a "voluntary association” S.S. Allwright was a county election official Lonnie E. Smith denied the right to vote in the Texas Democratic primary (1940) Constitutional Basis—Was denying African Americans the right to vote in a party activity in violation of the 15 th Amendment? Ruling Texas statutes governed the selection of county-level party leaders The party conducted primary elections under state statutory authority State courts were given exclusive original jurisdiction over contested elections Allwright engaged in state action abridging Smith's right to vote because of his race. A state cannot "permit a private organization to practice racial discrimination" in elections, argued Justice Reed. Return to Slide

Guinn v. US (1915) Background Exception to Literacy Tests: Grandfathers who could vote before January 1, 1866; a resident of "some foreign nation“; or were soldiers The amendment came into force before the election of November 8, 1910 Constitutional Basis—Were grandfather clauses in MD and OK constitutions in violation of the 15 Amendment? Ruling Grandfather clause are in violation of the 15 th Amendment Significance? Return to Slide

Questions for Understanding Guinn and Smith 1. What was the intent of the grandfather clause? 2. Why did the Court have to strike down the OK and MD law (amendment to the their respective constitutions)? 3. How could “white primaries” exist if it discriminates based on race, color or previous condition of servitude? 4. What is significant about Allwright’s argument that the TX primary is a “voluntary association?” (Review 15 th AMD) Return to Slide

Effect on African American Voting 1. Selma, Alabama—voting rolls—99 percent white & 1 percent black (even though there were more black residents than whites in that city) 2. Birmingham – a city with 18,000 blacks – only 30 of them were eligible to vote 3. Alabama and Florida—eligible Black voters were reduced by nearly 90 percent 4. Texas—Black voters were reduced from 100,000 to only 5, Only 5 percent of blacks in the south were registered to vote by See pg. 148 (Wilson, 7 th ed) OR pg pg. 134 (8 th ed)

18 Year Olds Voting Rights 1970 Made yr. old persons part of the federal electorate Provision for local elections deemed unconstitutional—Why? 26 th Amendment Impact 1972 Election Impact: 25 million more people eligible

Washington DC rd Amendment— Home Rule Act 1973 LOCAL GOV’T—DC EXELEG JUD MAJOR COUNCIL OF DC APPT BY PRESIDENT 8 WARDS 4 AT LARGE 1 CHAIRMEN COMMISSIONERS 1/2000—CITIZENS

Women 19 th Amendment (1920) Granted women the right to vote in all elections NJ, WY & CO were the first states to grant women suffrage

Factors Influencing Voter Turnout See Chart in Wilson Text pg. 153, Education 2. Income and Socioeconomic Status 3. Age 4. Religion 5. Gender 6. Race/Ethnicity a. African Americans b. Hispanics c. Caucasians

Cause of Low Voter Turnout 1. Voter Registration (ND is the exception) 2. Rise of the Electorate 3. Decline in Political Efficacy 4. Mistrust, Corruption and Apathy 5. Non-competitive elections 6. No viable Minor Parties/Two-Party System— Clothespin Vote 7. Weakening of Political Parties and Party Leaders 8. Low Voter Turnout is apparent and NOT REAL 9. Role of the Media 10. Aussie Ballot (1890s)

Oppressed Groups 1. Property Requirement 2. Women 3. Residents of Washington DC Year olds 5. African Americans a. 15 th Amendment b. 15 th Amendments Circumvention Poll Taxes Grandfather Clause White Primary Literacy Tests

Formative Assessment 1. What eventually eliminated poll taxes? 2. What eventually eliminated White Primaries? 3. What allowed for DC residents to vote for electors for VP and President? 4. What allowed for year olds the right to vote in elections in every level? 5. What eliminated poll taxes in federal elections? 6. What allowed for DC residents the right to vote for local leaders? 7. According to the VRA 1965, under what conditions can federal examiners register people to vote? 8. By election of 1972, which groups of people could vote? 9. What allowed for women the right to vote in every election? 10. What eventually eliminated the grandfather clauses?