Chapter 10 Voting and Elections

Qualifications of Voting 18 years old a US citizen Registered to vote Resident of voting district

Registering to Vote Meet registration deadline Ways to register: in person by mail when you get your driver’s license through the Motor Voter bill Be able to prove citizenship, address, and age

Steps in Voting Go to a polling place located in your precinct Check in with the clerk - sign in and they verify registration Go to a challenger’s table who double checks the info Go to the voting booth

Voting Methods Optical scan Electronic Touch Screen Voters fill in ovals with a #2 pencil Easy for voters to use, but scanning equipment is expensive Electronic Touch Screen Voters simply touch who they want on a computer screen, similar to an ATM machine Easy to use Machinery is expensive and there is no paper trail

Voting Methods Punch Card Voters insert cards into clipboard size devices Punch a hole next to their choice Tough to read if holes are not punched correctly “Butterfly” ballots confusing to read

Voting Methods Lever machines Simply push down lever of candidate you want Very simple to use Machines are expensive, heavy, old, and no longer manufactured No paper trail

Voting Methods Paper ballot Voters mark by hand who they want Very cheap method Counting is slow

Steps to Voting If you vote for candidates from only one political party that is voting a straight ticket If you vote for candidates from different parties that is voting a split ticket If you can’t make it to the polls, you can vote an absentee ballot. You get the ballot early and return it by mail.

Steps to Voting When the polls close, the returns (final results) are taken to the board of elections where they are recounted. Media often try to predict the final results through exit polls - asking people how they voted as they leave the polls

Why People Don’t Vote Did not register Don’t meet the requirements Don’t like the candidates Apathy-just don’t care Didn’t research the issues Work schedule

Who Typically Votes All people eligible to vote are called the electorate Those who do vote usually are more educated, middle-aged, and with higher incomes

Sources of Information to Help You Make an Informed Choice Newspapers TV Radio Internet Voter info pamphlets From the parties themselves Interest groups

Questions to ask yourself when you do vote? Does the candidate stand for the things I think are important? Is the candidate honest and reliable? Does the candidate have any experience? Will they be effective? Does the candidate have a shot at winning?

Why Should You Vote? You can chose your leaders You can voice your opinion on the government You can vote on key issues

Role of Media on Elections News outlets place much time and money into covering elections Use polls and make predictions which can influence the election Coverage of the candidates can influence the election Coverage can even influence voter turnout

Types of elections Primary elections- narrow the field in a political party for the general election General elections -takes place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November All elections are decided by a majority vote except for the Presidential election

Special Elections Initiative-This is a way for citizens to propose new laws. After a petition is filled with a certain number of signatures, the issue is put on the ballot for voters to decide Referendum-This is a proposed law that is drafted by the government, but must be approved by the voters to become law Recall-A special election where voters can remove a government official

Presidential Elections 3 steps: nomination Campaign vote Chosen by the electoral college in a winner-take-all system Winner’s votes are cast in state’s capitals in December Each state gets 1 electoral vote for each member it has in Congress 270 votes are needed to win Large states have more power in this system than the small states Possible to win popular vote and lose election (2000) Almost impossible for a third party candidate to win

Running for Office Campaigns require a lot of money Each candidate creates an organization to help them run their campaign This organization tries to get voters to know the candidate’s name, face, and position on issues They may canvass communities, hand out literature or make phone calls

Running for Office Try to use many different propaganda techniques Most $ is spent on TV advertising They also must pay for airfare, workers’ salaries, consultants, computers, phones, postage and printing costs Local offices cost a few thousand dollars, Congressional races can cost about 2 million dollars

Financing a Campaign Most of the rules that are to be followed were set out by the Federal Election Campaign Finance Act of 1971 All contributions must be made public record Individuals are limited in how much they can contribute

Financing a Campaign There is a public fund for those wishing to run for President that comes from taxpayers who contribute $3 from their tax returns A candidate must be able to raise at least $100,000 on their own first to qualify for the money. The two major parties split the fund, but a third party can qualify for the fund if they got at least 5% of the popular vote in the last election

Financing a Campaign soft money- donations are given to political parties and not designed for a particular candidate money from PACs (political action committees)

Financing a Campaign There is no limit to how much a candidate can spend of their own money Most PACs give most of their money to incumbents- people who are currently in office