Unit 3 Voting

Terminology

• Suffrage – The right to vote, also called franchise.

Terminology

• Electorate – The potential voting population

Terminology

• Literacy – The ability to read and write

Terminology

• Poll Tax – A sum of money that had to be paid by the voter at the time he or she cast a ballot.

Terminology

• Ballot Fatigue – Voters lose their patience and/or knowledge as they work their way down a ballot.

Terminology

• Time-Zone Fallout – New media predicts elections winners when the polls in the East and Midwest close, resulting in lower voter turnout in the West where the polls are still open.

Voter QualificationsAge

Citizenship

Residency

Mental Competency

Felony Convictions

Voter QualificationsAge Must be at least 18 years old on or before the

day of the general election.

Citizenship .

Residency

Mental Competency

Felony Convictions

Voter QualificationsAge Must be at least 18 years old on or before the

day of the general election.

Citizenship Must be a United States citizen.

Residency

Mental Competency

Felony Convictions

Voter QualificationsAge Must be at least 18 years old on or before the

day of the general election.

Citizenship Must be a United States citizen.

Residency Must be a resident of Ohio and of the precinct in which you will vote at least 30 days immediately before the election.

Mental Competency

Felony Convictions

Voter QualificationsAge Must be at least 18 years old on or before the

day of the general election.

Citizenship Must be a United States citizen.

Residency Must be a resident of Ohio and of the precinct in which you will vote at least 30 days immediately before the election.

Mental Competency

Not must been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court.

Felony Convictions

Voter QualificationsAge Must be at least 18 years old on or before the

day of the general election.

Citizenship Must be a United States citizen.

Residency Must be a resident of Ohio and of the precinct in which you will vote at least 30 days immediately before the election.

Mental Competency

Not must been declared incompetent for voting purposes by a probate court.

Felony Convictions

Voting rights restored automatically after release from prison.

Suffrage History

Year Expansion Who could vote & Provisions 1789 Constitution 1850 Religious &

Property requirements dropped

1870 15th Amendment

1920 19th Amendment

Suffrage History

Year Expansion Who could vote & Provisions 1789 Constitution White male property owners 1850 Religious &

Property requirements dropped

1870 15th Amendment

1920 19th Amendment

Suffrage History

Year Expansion Who could vote & Provisions 1789 Constitution White male property owners 1850 Religious &

Property requirements dropped

Almost all adult white males

1870 15th Amendment

1920 19th Amendment

Suffrage History

Year Expansion Who could vote & Provisions 1789 Constitution White male property owners 1850 Religious &

Property requirements dropped

Almost all adult white males

1870 15th Amendment

All adult males including African Americans were given the right to vote but it not really enforced in most places.

1920 19th Amendment

Suffrage History

Year Expansion Who could vote & Provisions 1789 Constitution White male property owners 1850 Religious &

Property requirements dropped

Almost all adult white males

1870 15th Amendment

All adult males including African Americans were given the right to vote but it not really enforced in most places.

1920 19th Amendment

All adult men and women (but many African Americans still could not)

Suffrage History (continued)1957 Civil Rights Act of

1957

1960 Civil Rights Act of 1960

1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964

Suffrage History (continued)1957 Civil Rights Act of

1957Established the United States Civil Rights Commission and gave the U.S. attorney general the right to seek federal court orders to prevent actions that interfered with voting rights of qualified citizens

1960 Civil Rights Act of 1960

1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964

Suffrage History (continued)1957 Civil Rights Act of

1957Established the United States Civil Rights Commission and gave the U.S. attorney general the right to seek federal court orders to prevent actions that interfered with voting rights of qualified citizens

1960 Civil Rights Act of 1960

Appointed federal voting referees, their duty was to make sure that qualified citizens were allowed to register and vote in federal elections.

1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964

Suffrage History (continued)1957 Civil Rights Act of

1957Established the United States Civil Rights Commission and gave the U.S. attorney general the right to seek federal court orders to prevent actions that interfered with voting rights of qualified citizens

1960 Civil Rights Act of 1960

Appointed federal voting referees, their duty was to make sure that qualified citizens were allowed to register and vote in federal elections.

1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964

Banned registration or literacy requirements. It relied heavily on the use of the court system to overcome racial discrimination.

Suffrage History (continued)

1965 Voting Rights Act of 1965

1971 26th

Suffrage History (continued)

1965 Voting Rights Act of 1965

Attacked the use of poll taxes and literacy tests. It authorized the appointment of voter examiners in any state or county in which less than half of the electorate had been registered or voted in the 1964 election.

1971 26th

Suffrage History (continued)

1965 Voting Rights Act of 1965

Attacked the use of poll taxes and literacy tests. It authorized the appointment of voter examiners in any state or county in which less than half of the electorate had been registered or voted in the 1964 election.

1971 26th Gave 18 years olds the right to vote.

Predictions

• What type of elections years have the highest voter turnout?

• Answer: – Presidential elections

• What is the largest group of “cannot-voters”?

• Answer:– Resident aliens (people

who are legally allowed to stay in our country.

• Why do some nonvoters deliberately (purposely) choose not to vote?

• Answer:– They think their votes will not

have an effect on government.

• What is the chief reason that most nonvoters do not vote?

• Answer:– Voters are not interested!

How does each of these factors affect the likelihood of whether people do or do not vote?

• Level of income– People with higher incomes are more likely to vote

than people with lower incomes. • Occupation

– People with higher incomes are more likely to vote than people with lower incomes.

• Education– Better educated people are more likely to vote

than people with lower incomes.

How does each of these factors affect the likelihood of whether people do or do not vote?

• Age– People under 35 are less likely to vote than older

people. • Gender

– Women are more likely to vote than men.• Party Identification

– People with stronger party identification are more likely to vote than people with weaker identification.