voters & voter behavior

CHAPTER 6

Voters & Voter Behavior

PP. 152-155

Chapter 6.1: The Right to Vote

Expansion of the Electorate

At first suffrage was only granted to white male property owners 1 in 15 adult white males

Today the electorate is 230 million + Restrictions have been taken away & federal

government has taken control of suffrage laws

Extending the Suffrage

Stage 1=States eliminated religious requirements & property-owning requirements

Stage 2=15th Amendment (1870) allowed African American males to vote Still difficult for many blacks to vote for various

reasons—poll taxes, literacy tests, violenceStage 3=19th Amendment (1920) allowed

women to vote nationally


Stage 4=Civil rights movement, 1960s Civil rights acts Voting Rights Act of 1965 23rd Amendment (1961) allowed voters of Washington,

DC to vote in presidential elections 24th Amendment (1964) eliminated poll taxes


Stage 5=26th Amendment (1971), no state can set the minimum age for voting at more than 18 years

Vietnam War era

The Powers to Set Voting Qualifications

Constitution does not give the federal government power to set voting qualifications

Constitution does set 5 restrictions 1. If allowed to vote in state elections, you can vote in

national elections as well 2. Cannot be denied vote based on race or color 3. Cannot be denied vote based on gender 4. No state cannot require a payment of a tax in order

to vote 5. No state can deny a person the age of 18 or older

the right to vote

What’s Next?

Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote? http://prospect.org/article/making-sweet-sixteen-even-

sweeter

PP. 156-163

Chapter 6.2: Voter Qualifications

Universal Requirements

1. Citizenship—foreign-born resident who are not yet citizens are denied the right to vote

2. Residence—one must be a legal resident of the state in which he/she wishes to cast a ballot Various lengths of residency, some states require 30

days, some less, some none at all Nearly every state prohibits transients from voting

3. Age—no state can set the minimum age for voting in any election at more than 18 18-20 y.o.’s historically have low voter turnout

Registration

Process of voter identification, meant to prevent fraudulent voting

Gives election officials a list of qualified voters

Also used to identify voters with a party & provide eligibility to take part in closed primaries

Registration

Requirements: Typically a voter must provide: name, age, place or

birth, present address, length of residence Logged by a local official Registered until he/she moves, dies, convicted of a

felony, moved to a mental institution Purging of voter lists done every 2-4 years

Registration

Controversies: Some argue that registration requirements should be

dropped; argue that it hurts voter turnout Others argue that it prevents fraud

Where is the line where it is so easy to vote that fraud is encouraged, and it is so difficult that legitimate voting is discouraged?

The U.S. is the only democratic country in which each person decides whether or not to vote

“Motor Voter Act” effective in 1995 Citizens can register to vote when renewing a driver’s

license

Registration

Voter ID laws Require people to prove identity when registering to

vote Usually sponsored by Republican-controlled states Intended to prevent fraud, but opponents say they are

designed to prevent certain groups from voting Elderly, disabled, poor, & minority groups

What about voter ID laws? Fair or unfair? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/

2013/03/26/the-countrys-voter-id-laws-in-1-map/

Literacy Tests

Today no state has voter qualifications based on literacy

Aimed at limiting certain groups from voting: Irish Americans, African Americans

Grandfather clausesSC banned literacy tests as voter requirement in

1970 Oregon v. Mitchell

*See “Can You Answer These?” on p. 162*

Tax Payments

Property ownership was once a common voter requirement

Some state required voters to pay a special tax or a poll tax Still in use in AL, MS, TX, & VA in 1966 despite the

24th AmendmentTaxing requirements are now gone

Persons Denied the Vote

People in mental institutions and/or people who are found to be mentally incompetent

People convicted of serious crimes In many states convicted felons can regain the right to

voteSome states do not allow people dishonorably

discharged from the military to vote

PP. 164-168

Chapter 6.3: Suffrage & Civil Rights

Terms to Know

15th AmendmentGerrymanderingCivil Rights Act of 1964Voting Rights Act of 1965

*See timeline on pp. 166-167*

PP. 170-178

Chapter 6.4:Voter Behavior

Nonvoting

Only 61% of eligible voters voted in 2008 election; roughly 57% in 2012

Typically rates are much lower in off-year elections

“Nonvoting voters” For example: vote for president, but not for members

of Congress“Ballot fatigue,” voters exhaust

patience/knowledge as they work down the ballot

Why People Do Not Vote

“Cannot voters”—resident aliens, ill/physically disabled, traveling suddenly/unexpectedly, mentally disabled, prisoners

Why People Do Not Vote

Actual Nonvoters—Many are convinced their vote makes no difference Many in this group lack political efficacy

Political efficacy—one’s own influence or effectiveness on politics

Cumbersome procedures, long lines, bad weather, etc. “Time-zone fallout”—discourages voting on West

Coast Lack of interest, indifference

Voters Nonvoters

High incomeEducatedLong-time residentsSense of party

identificationArea where there is

competition between parties

YoungerLess educationLower payRural localesMen, more so than

women

Voters vs. Nonvoters

Voting Behavior

What we know about voter behavior comes from 3 sources:

1. Results of previous elections2. The field of survey research

Gallup Organization & Pew Research3. Political Socialization

The process by which people gain their political attitudes & opinions

Voting Behavior

Sociological factors that influence voters:1. Income & occupation

Lower=Democrat Higher=Republican Professionals w/ higher incomes tend to vote for GOP

candidates Manual laborers tend to vote for Democrats

Voting Behavior

Education College graduates vote for Republicans in higher

percentages than high school gradsGender

Women tend to favor Democrats—5-10% Men often give GOP same edge

“Gender gap” Topics men & women tend to vote differently on:

Abortion, health care, social welfare programs, military involvement

Voting Behavior

Age Younger voters prefer Democrats Older voters prefer Republicans

In ‘08 Obama won 66% of the 30 & under voteReligion

Protestants prefer the GOP Catholics & Jews vote for Democrats

‘08 election supported these trends 55% of voters that went to church once/week voted for

McCain in ‘08

Voting Behavior

Race/Ethnicity African Americans tend to vote for Democrats

Had voted for Republicans from 1860s to 1930s Why the shift?

Latinos typically favor Democrats

Voting Behavior

Geography Post-Civil War the South had voted for Democrats

Now the South is controlled by the GOP States that have most consistently been Republican:

Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming ‘64 was the last time AK, ID, KS, NE, ND, OK, SD, UT, WY voted

for a Democratic presidential candidate (LBJ) Democrats have controlled New England over past two

decades

Voters in small cities & rural areas tend to vote Republican Urban residents prefer Democrats

Presidential Elections—1980-2012

What trends do you see?Which states always vote the same?Which states tend to go back & forth?http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/

showelection.php?year=1980

Voter Behavior

Family/Groups Typically 9 out of 10 married couples have the same

political leanings As many as 2 out of 3 voters follow the political

attachments of their parents A person’s group associations reinforce the opinions

he/she already has

Voting Behavior

Psychological Factors (perception of politics):Party Identification

Some times little or no regard to issues or candidates Single-most significant & lasting indicator of voter behavior Straight-ticket voting Split-ticket voting his been on the rise since the ‘60s Today there are large number of people who call

themselves “independents” 1/3 to ¼ of all voters Important in close elections Typical independent today=young, above average education,

above average income

Voting Behavior

Psychological Factors:Candidates & Issues

Personality, character, appearance, style past record, ability

Important issues recent elections: recession, Iraq & Afghanistan Wars, immigration, health care