1. Voting

2. Voting Qualifications
In order to vote in U.S. elections you must be
18 years old
Resident of the state you’re voting in
Citizen of the U.S.
Registered to vote

3. Who Votes? People eligible to vote are called the electorate
People’s voting rights will be denied if
They are inmates in mental hospitals
They have been convicted of a felony
They do not meet the residency requirements in their state

4. Who Votes? Voter Residency Requirement Days

5. Who Votes? Effects of Felon Voting Bans on African American Males

6. Who Votes? Possible Effects of Voter I.D. Cards being required
New law says a state-approved photo ID is required to vote in person, starting in 2016
Why Now?
Starting in 2014, poll workers will ask in-person voters if they have one of the required IDs. You don’t need to answer or show an ID in order to vote.
The State Board of Elections will help those without an ID get one for free
Official NC documents needed to get an ID will also be available to registered voters for free

7. Reaching voters without id

8. poor elderly women non-college youth people of color
Who Doesn’t Have an I.D.
We can’t be sure how many people don’t have an acceptable government IDs, but research shows they are most likely to be
poor
elderly
women
non-college youth
people of color

9. Free IDs for Voting
If you are a registered or an eligible voter without a current, acceptable photo ID, you can get a free ID from the DMV (normally $10)
You’ll need to sign a sworn statement that you don’t have any of the acceptable IDs. Lying is a Class 1 felony.
You can go to a DMV office in any county to apply for the no-fee ID.

10. Who Votes? Possible Effects of Voter I.D. Cards being required
This law was only used in one election before being overturned in a US Appeals Court.
A federal appeals court overturned parts of North Carolina's 2013 voting law, including provisions that required voters to show a photo identification card, saying they were enacted "with racially discriminatory intent" in violation of the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act.

11. What Documents Do I Need?
2 official documents with your full legal name; at least one must have your date of birth.
1 document with your residential address if neither identity document has your address.
A valid Social Security number. If DMV can’t verify your SSN, you need a document with it, like one of the identity docs.
If you have trouble getting 2 documents, bring what you have to the DMV.

12. Why Should I Vote?
The right to vote is considered to be our greatest freedom
People should exercise their right to vote because it allows citizens to
Choose their govt. leaders
Elect new leaders if dissatisfied with performance of current leaders
Express their opinions on public issues
Smoking Ban in NC Rests.

13. Where Do I Vote? Precincts
Each address is assigned to a specific precinct number
Each precinct has specific locations where its residents go to vote (polling stations)
Can find precinct number here: (if registered)

14. Sample Voter Info Card

15. How Do I Vote?
Polling stations open as early as 5AM and close as late as 8 or 9 PM
Each voting precinct decides the method of voting to use:
Mechanical Machine - Levers
Electronic Voting – Touch Screen / Optical Scan
Paper Ballot – Paper/Punch Card

16. Voting Methods

17. Voting Methods Electronic Voting Opti-Scan Voting Machine
Touch Screen Voting

18. Voting Methods
Mechanical Machine

19. Voting Methods Paper Ballot Datavote Basic Paper
Punch Cards (holes called CHADS)

20. Voting Methods

21. When Do I Vote? General Election Day
1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in Nov.
Could be voting for
President of the U.S.
Governor
Senators
Representatives
State Legislators
Any state, federal, or local officials
Mid-term Elections (Same Day as Above)
Elections in which members of Congress and some Governors are being elected, but not the President

22. Voting Types Straight Ticket Voting
Voting for all candidates in one party
Some states make it easy by having a column on ballot for each party

23. Voting Types Split Ticket Voting
Voting for candidates of different political parties for different offices

24. Voting Types Write In Voting
Voters can write in names of candidates they wish to vote for, whose names do not appear on the ballot
Candidate has to be an officially endorsed candidate for vote to count

25. Voting Types Absentee Voting
Voters who cannot get to the polls on Election Day can use an absentee ballot
Can be requested from the local election board as early as 180 days before Election Day
Ballots opened and counted in your precinct on Election Day

26. Voting Types Advance Voting
Allows any registered voter to cast a ballot in person at the county voter registration office during normal business hours on the Monday through Friday of the week prior to an election.

27. Counting the Votes Election workers count votes after polls close
Ballots then taken to election board and they count votes again
News media and party workers try to predict winners as soon as possible through exit polls
also used to deter voter fraud