1. Warm-Up (11/07) Indicate whether you SUPPORT, OPPOSE, or have NO OPINION on each of these issues.
Abortion is a woman’s right.
Companies should be required to hire more women and minorities.
Sexual Orientation should be protected by civil rights.
Prayer should be permitted in public schools.
Death penalty.
Mandatory “three strikes” sentencing laws.
Absolute right to gun ownership.
More federal funding for health coverage.
Privatize social security.
Parents choose schools with vouchers.
Drugs damage society: enforce laws against use.
Allow churches to provide welfare services.
Decrease overall taxation on the wealthy.
Immigration helps our economy – Encourage it.
Support and expand free trade.

2. Voters & Voters Behavior
Chapter 6
Voters & Voters Behavior

3. 6.1 – The Right to Vote Extending Suffrage Voting Qualifications
Voting Rights
Extending Suffrage Voting Qualifications
No religious Any person must be qualifications allowed to vote in
No restrictions based State & National on race or color elections
No restrictions based th Amendment sex th Amendment
No poll tax & addition th Amendment of D.C. to the th Amendment electorate
Extending the voting age to 18 years of age

4. 6.2 – Voter Qualifications
Universal Requirements
Citizenship – Aliens are generally denied the right to vote.
Residence – Must be a legal resident of the United States.
Nearly half of the States now require voters to have lived in the State for at least 30 days.
Transients – Nearly every State does prohibit transients from gaining a legal residence there. (Ex. Traveling salesmen, college student, etc.)
Age – No state may set the minimum age for voting in any election at more than 18.

5. Voter Qualifications
Registration – Requires residents to register to vote.
Created to prevent fraudulent voting
Must provide name, age, place of birth, present address, length of residence, etc.
“Motor Voter Law” – Every state must allow all eligible citizens to register to vote when they apply for or renew a driver’s license. (Created to increase voter turn-out)
Literacy – No longer used. Required people to be able to read to vote.
Tax Payment – No longer used. The 24th Amendment outlawed the poll tax.

6. 6.3 – Suffrage & Civil Rights
How important is the right to vote?
Attempts to stop voters
Poll Tax
Literacy Test
Grandfather Clause
Gerrymandering: practice of drawing electoral district lines in order to limit the voting strength of a particular group or party.

7. Suffrage & Civil Rights
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Suspended the use of poll tax and literacy tests
Required States to receive “Preclearance” before changing voting laws
Amendments to the Act
1975 & 1982: Required ballots and other official election materials be printed both in English and in the language of the minority, or minorities, involved – Applies to communities that have a minority-language population of 10,000 or more persons

8. 6.4 – Voter Behavior Idiots! – Nonvoters
Why do people choose not to vote?
“Cannot-Voters”
Actual Nonvoters
Convinced that their vote makes no real difference
Distrust politics and politicians
Inconvenient registration requirements
Long ballots
Long lines at polling places
Lack of interest

9. Voter Behavior Sociological Factors that Influence Voters
Income, Occupation
Lower Income = Democrat
Higher Income = Republican
Education
College graduates vote for Republicans in higher percentages than do high-school graduates
Gender, Age
Women tend to favor the Democrats by a margin of 5-10%
Men tend to favor Republicans by a margin of 5-10%
Younger voters have been more likely to be Democrats
Older voters have been more likely to be Republicans

10. Voter Behavior Religious, Ethnic Background Geography
Protestants prefer Republicans
Jews and Catholics prefer Democrats
Nonwhites have supported the Democratic Party
Geography
Family & Other Groups
9 out of 10 married couples share the same partisan leanings
2 out of 3 Americans vote the same way their parents did
Those who work together and circles of friends also tend to vote similarly