1. The Right to Vote “Suffrage”

2. Voting is State Regulated

3. Federal Restrictions on the States Vote in all elections Race ( ? Amendment) Men and Women ( ? ) No poll taxes ( ? ) Maximum age of 18 ( ? )

4. Benjamin Franklin and the Donkey

5. Federal Restrictions on the States Property? Hill v. Stone 1975 14 th Amendment Equal Protection Clause Cannot discriminate or draw unreasonable distinctions between persons Felons???

6. State Restrictions on Felons Only Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia have lifetime bans 48 states prohibit current inmates from voting Only Vermont and Maine allow inmates to vote 36 keep parolees from the polls

7. State Restrictions on Felons Ohio: parolees can vote Ohio: in jail on a felony, or on probation, or on parole –-- your voter registration is cancelled!

8. Ohio Voting Eligibility 18 by general election day Must be registered Citizen of the U.S. Resident of Ohio for 30 days prior to election You are not incarcerated on a felony You have not been declared incompetent by probate court

9. How to Register in Ohio? BOE’s BMV Libraries High Schools Designated state and County Offices Many, many other locations CANNOT REGISTER ONLINE Must be registered 30 days prior in OH

10. Check your status online? www.ohiosecretaryofstate.gov Greene County site is better

11. 6 Classifications of Participation Inactives: Participate little if at all Parochial participants: Neither vote nor engage in community activity, but they do contact officials about specific, personal problems. Communalists: Engage in community activities of a nonpartisan nature.

12. 6 Classifications of Participation Voting Specialists: Regularly vote but do little else. Campaigners: Vote and also participate in political activities like campaigns. Complete Activists: Participate in all forms of political activity

13. 2008 Presidential Numbers 215 Million Eligible Voters 131 million voters (most ever) 61% turnout 55% Average (since ’68) 60.9% old record ‘68

14. 2010 Mid-Term Ohio Numbers Just over 8 Million Eligible Voters 3.8 million voted 47.9% turnout

15. 2010 Greene Co. Numbers Just over 116,000 Eligible Voters 59,500 million voted 51% turnout (highest 63%; lowest 33%)