1. Chapter 6 Voters and Voter Behavior

2. Chapter 6 Section 1: The Right to Vote
Suffrage—the right to vote Franchise—synonym for the right to vote Electorate—the potential voting population (more than 230 million) Disenfranchised—barred from voting

3. 5 Stages of Expanding Suffrage Early 1800s
Religious, property, and tax qualifications begin to disappear
1870
15th amendment—no restrictions based on race/color
1920
19th amendment—no restrictions based on gender
Wyoming (as a territory)—women’s suffrage in 1869
1960s
Voting Rights Act of 1965—enforces racial equality at polling places
23rd amendment—DC votes in presidential elections
24th amendment—ban on poll tax
1970s
26th amendment—voting age to 18

4. Chapter 6 Section 2: Voter Qualifications
Citizenship
Must be a US citizen
Only PA has a time requirement for naturalized citizen
Aliens—foreign-born residents who have not become citizens
Allowed to vote in CA (registered through DMV)
Residence
Must be legal resident of state in which ballot is cast
Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970
Bans residency requirement of longer than 30 days for presidential elections
Most states do not specify a required residency period
Transients may not vote in most states
Plan to live in a State for only a short time from gaining legal residence

5. 26th Amendment—suffrage for all citizens 18 and older
States may choose to set age at less than 18 (but none have)
Some allow 17yo to vote in primaries if they’ll be 18 by election day

6. Chapter 6 Section 3: Suffrage and Civil Rights
How did the US fulfill the promise of the 15th amendment?
15th Amendment
Ratified 1870
Southern Whites used variety of means to deny African Americans 15th amendment
Violence, threats, social pressure, literacy tests, poll taxes, gerrymandering
Smith v. Allwright (1944)—banned white primaries
Gomillion v. Lightfoot (1960)—banned gerrymandering for purposes of racial discrimination

7. Civil Rights Civil Rights Act of 1957 Civil Rights Act of 1960
Set up commission to investigate voter discrimination
Enabled attorney general to enforce voting rights
Civil Rights Act of 1960
Provided federal voting “referees” to serve where there was voter discrimination
Help eligible voters register/vote
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Banned discrimination in jobs
Banned discriminatory voter registration or literacy requirements

8. South Carolina v. Katzenbiach Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Prompted by civil rights march in Selma, AL
Applied 15th amendment to all elections
Challenged poll taxes and literacy tests
Authorized voting examiners
Required federal preclearance to any changes in state election laws
South Carolina v. Katzenbiach
Upheld Voting Rights Act of 1965
Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970
Extended Act for 5 years
Banned literacy tests

9. Oregon v. Mitchell Law extended in 1975 Upheld ban on literacy tests
Upheld residency requirements
Law extended in 1975
Ban on literacy tests made permanent
Applied provisions to language minorities

10. Chapter 6 Section 4: Voter Behavior
Factors that Influence Voters
Sociological
Income
Religion
Occupation
Ethnic background
Education
Geography
Gender
Family/other groups
Age

11. Psychological
Party identification
Views on candidates
Views on issues

12. Off-year elections (between presidential elections) typically have lower turn- outs
Ballot fatigue is when there are fewer votes for the offices lower on the ballot
Reasons people don’t vote
Ill or physically disabled
Legal reasons (mental health or felons)
Racial or religious biases
Just not voting (political efficacy is the lack of feeling of influence or effectiveness in politics)