Chapter 17: Elections & Voting

Presentation made by Mr. Flint: Cloverleaf High School. Graphics from www.wikipedia.org

Section 1: Election Campaigns

Electing the President

Presidential campaigns begin over a year before the election.

To be elected president a candidate must win at least 270 out of 538 Electoral Votes.

A state’s Electoral Votes are equal to its’ representation in Congress.

The candidate that wins the majority of the popular vote n a state usually receives all of that states Electoral Votes.

Candidates pay the most attention to the largest states. A candidate can win 10 out of the 11 largest states and become president of the United States.

Sometimes candidates that lose the popular vote still become president because they win the Electoral vote.

Section 1: Election Campaigns contd.

Al Gore & Joseph Lieberman (Democrat): 50,992,335

George W. Bush & Dick Cheney (Republican): 50,445,156

Ralph Nader (Green): 2,882,897

Section 1: Election Campaigns contd.

Bush/Cheney: 271

Gore/Lieberman:

261

2000

Section 1: Election Campaigns contd.2004

John Kerry/John Edwards (Democrat): 59,028,111

George W. Bush/Dick Cheney (Republican): 62,028,111

Section 1: Election Campaigns contd.

Bush/Cheney: 286

Kerry/Edwards:

251

2004

Section 1: Election Campaigns contd.

Who runs a campaign? Campaign manager State, county, local party officials The vast majority of campaign work is done by non-paid volunteers. Since 1960 television and television advertisements have played a key role in campaigns. Why?

•What is the right to vote called?•What were some historical

restrictions on voting? Why did these restrictions exist?

•What Constitutional Amendment allowed Black Men to vote

•What Constitutional Amendment established Women’s Suffrage?

•What types of ‘Jim Crow’ laws were used to restrict African-Americans from voting?

•What Acts, passed from 1960-1982 helped end voter discrimination.

•What Constitutional Amendment lowered the voting age to 18?