Chapter 6 Voting
The Constitution and the Right to Vote SECTION 1 The Constitution and the Right to Vote
The History of Voting Rights in the United States
What were the original provisions for voting in the United States? framers of Constitution purposely left power to set up suffrage qualifications up to the states the right to vote was restricted to white male adult property owners
What have been the trends in the history of suffrage? The gradual elimination of restrictions based on religion, property ownership, tax payment, race and, sex, and age power over suffrage has been assumed by the federal government from the states
How has the American electorate grown over time? early 1800's - religious tax, and property restrictions removed post Civil war - 15th Amendment prohibited restriction based on race or color
In 1920, the 19th Amendment granted women suffrage 1960's - enforcement of civil rights acts prohibited racial restriction in polling places
23rd Amendment allowed residents of Washington D. C 23rd Amendment allowed residents of Washington D.C. to vote in Presidential election 24th Amendment eliminated poll tax 1971 - 26th Amendment- 18 year old vote
Power to set voting qualifications is reserved to the states
What restrictions are placed on the States by the Constitution? allows the same voters to vote in all elections states cannot deprive a person suffrage based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude
states cannot deprive a person suffrage based on sex states cannot require a payment of tax as condition of voting states cannot deprive a person 18 years old suffrage because of age
States may require prior registration and gives election officials a list of persons qualified to vote in an election
voter remains registered unless: moves or dies is convicted of a serious crime is committed to a mental institution fails to vote for a certain number of years or elections
Congress required states to ease the registration process by passing the Motor Voter Law, which directs states to:
allows citizens to register when renewing driver's license most states require registration prior to election, 20-30 days
VOTER QUALIFICATIONS AMONG STATES SECTION 2 VOTER QUALIFICATIONS AMONG STATES
Citizenship aliens are generally denied right to vote, but states could allow them to vote
Residence most states require a person live within the state a certain period of time in order to qualify to vote to keep political organizations from importing voters
accepted view that the voter should be familiar with candidates and issues originally as long as 60-90 days, today about 1/2 of the states have 30 day requirements
a growing number of states are now only requiring legal residence Congress has prohibited residency requirements over 30 days in federal elections (1970) nearly every state prohibits transients from voting
Age 26th Amendment sets 18 as cap for minimum age some states allow 17 year olds to vote in primary elections
persons denied the right to vote people found legally incompetent convicted felons dishonorably discharged veterans the homeless
SUFFRAGE AND CIVIL RIGHTS SECTION 3 SUFFRAGE AND CIVIL RIGHTS
African American suffrage in the 1960's civil rights workers suffered violence in order to ensure others had the right to vote 15th Amendment intended to ensure African-American men the right to vote
for almost 90 years the federal govt for almost 90 years the federal govt. ignored the voting rights of African-Americans during that period, they were kept away from the polls by use of violence, intimidation, and social pressure
literacy tests, poll taxes, and gerrymandering were used to keep them from voting Congress was forced to act in response to civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King
What effect did Civil Rights Acts in the 1950’s and 1960’s have on the right to vote?
inquired into voter discrimination claims Civil Rights Acts 1957- set up Civil Rights Commission inquired into voter discrimination claims gave the Attorney General authority to seek injunctions to prevent voter interference
1960 - provided for appointment of voting referees had the power to help qualified persons to register and vote 1964 - outlaws discrimination in several areas, especially job-related forbids the use of any registration requirement in an unfair or discriminatory manner
Voting Rights Act of 1965 suspended the use of literacy tests authorized the appointment of voting examiners gave federal authorities the power to register voters and oversee elections
Section 4 Nonvoting
The Size of the Problem Only about half of eligible voters turn out in presidential elections Only about a third of eligible voters turn out in off-year elections
Little-Recognized Aspects of the Problem More people vote in federal than in State and local elections. Turnout is lower in off-year elections, primaries, and special elections than it is in presidential-year elections.
In general, the farther down the ballot an office is, the fewer the number of votes that will be cast for it. This phenomenon is called "ballot fatigue."
Why People Do Not Vote
"Cannot-Voters" Nearly 20 million Americans do not vote because they cannot. Cannot-voters include aliens, the mentally or physically handicapped, and people in prison.
Some people cannot vote because their religious beliefs forbid them to participate in government. Some are still prevented from voting because of discriminatory electoral practices.
Actual Nonvoters (choose not to or just do not vote) Many people do not vote because they are satisfied with the political system as it is and believe that the outcome of elections will not affect them.
Many others do not vote because they distrust the political process and do not think that they have any effective political power. Bad weather, "time-zone fallout," and cumbersome election procedures keep some away from the polls.
Factors Affecting Turnout Voters are most likely to be people at the higher end of the social, economic, and educational ladder, and those active in their communities
What are characteristics of non-voters?
Nonvoters are most likely to be under 35, unmarried and unskilled, and living in the South or in a rural area. People with a high sense of political efficacy vote no matter what their personal background.
The greater the degree of candidate competition, the higher voter turnout is likely to be.
The Study of Voting Behavior Section 5 The Study of Voting Behavior
How do observers learn about voter behavior?
Changes in voting patterns Changes in voter demographics They carefully study the results of particular elections Voter totals Changes in voting patterns Changes in voter demographics
They ask voters why they voted on particular candidates and issues They conduct and study public opinion polls. They ask voters why they voted on particular candidates and issues
They try to understand political socialization all of the complex influences that go into how people see the political world and their role within it.
What sociological factors affect voting?
Income and Occupation Business and professional people and those from higher income groups tend to support the Republican party while manual workers and those from lower income groups tend to support the Democratic party.
Education The more education a voter has, the more likely he or she is to vote Republican.
Sex and Age In recent years, men and younger voters have been more likely to vote Republican.
Religious & Ethnic Background Jews, Catholics, and non-whites tend to support the Democratic party.
Geography Traditionally, Southerners and residents of large northeastern cities have been strongly Democratic.
Family & Other Group Affiliations People in the same family or circle of friends tend to vote alike.
What psychological factors affect voting?
Party Identification A voter's loyalty to one political party is the single most important predictor of how that person will vote.
Candidates and Issues Although many voters usually vote for one party or the other, they may switch allegiances in a given election based on the particular candidates or issues involved.