Transcript The Right to Vote

The Right to Vote
 The success of a democratic government
depends on popular participation – voting is
the key.
“Suffrage”: the right to vote (“franchise”).
“Electorate”: the potential voting population.
 When the Constitution was passed, only white male property
owners could vote. Over time, qualifications to vote have
eased significantly and the federal government has taken
control over granting the right to vote.
 The following restrictions are placed on states setting voter
qualifications:
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15th Amendment prohibited the denial of voting based on race.
19th Amendment prohibited the denial of voting based on sex.
23rd Amendment added voters of the District of Columbia.
24th Amendment eliminated the poll tax.
26th amendment forbids states to set minimum voting age at higher
than 18.
Voter Qualifications
There are universal voting requirements in every
state based on 3 major subjects:
1. Citizenship
2. Residence
3. Age
1. Citizenship:
You must be a citizen of the
U.S. to vote.
“Aliens”: foreign-born
residents who have not
become citizens are
typically denied the right
to vote.
2. Residence:
You must be a resident of
the state you plan to cast
a vote in – usually more
than 30 days.
* “Transients”: persons
living in a state for only a
short period of time
(travelling salesmen,
college students, etc.)
usually aren’t granted
residency
3. Age:
The 26th Amendment says
the states cannot deny
citizens of the U.S. the
right to vote if they are 18
or older – “old enough to
fight, old enough to vote”
– states can lower the
voting age if they chose to
do so.
 The only other major qualification that has stood
the test of time is “registration”: a procedure of
voter identification intended to prevent
fraudulent voting.
* Typically, you must register your name, age, place
of birth, present address, etc. You stay registered
unless you die, move, are convicted of a serious
crime, or are committed to a mental institution.
 Recently, all state shave made it easier to
register to vote – online, at the DMV, by mail,
or at local offices of state employment,
welfare, and other social service agencies.
* Most states require voters to be registered 2030 days before elections.
Those denied the right to vote:
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Those in mental institutions
Those declared mentally incompetent
Many who commit serious crimes
Some who have been dishonorably discharged
from the armed forces.
Suffrage and Civil Rights
 Voting rights have been
ensured through constitutional
amendments and various acts
passed by Congress.
* Today, no voter is denied the
right to vote because of
discrimination in any election
throughout the United States.
Amendments
• The 15th Amendment was intended to protect any citizen from
being denied the right to vote because of color.
– The Voting Rights of 1965 was an effort to ensure voting rights for
African Americans.
• The 19th Amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote
due to sex. (Women’s suffrage)
• The 23rd Amendment allowed residents of the District of
Columbia to vote in presidential elections.
• The 26th Amendment set the voting age at 18 years old.
Acts
• Civil Rights Act of 1957- set up the United
States Civil Rights Commission to inquire into
claims of voter discrimination.
• Civil Rights Act of 1960- added the additional
safeguard of appointing federal voting
referees. They were given the power to help
qualified persons to register and vote in
federal elections.
Acts
• Civil Rights Act of 1964- It relied on judicial action
to overcome racial barriers and emphasized the
use of federal court orders, or injunctions.
• Voting Rights Act of 1965- This applied to all
elections held anywhere in this country.
– Preclearance is prior approval by the Department of
Justice for a change to a law.
– States can bail out by showing that they have not
applied discriminatory voting practices for at least 10
years.
Voter Behavior
In 2004, 56.7% of the electorate
participated in the presidential election
(95 million eligible voters did not vote).
Why Don’t People Vote?
1. “Cannot Voters”: literally cannot vote (resident aliens,
ill or physically disabled, out of town, mentally ill,
jailed, religiously forbidden).
2. Actual Nonvoters: some people believe their vote does
not matter – they do not have “political efficacy”: a
feeling of influence in politics.
3. Other Reasons: cumbersome procedures (long lines,
time, bad weather, registration process) – “time-zone
fallout”: voters in the west may not vote because early
results may have already sealed the election – lack of
interest (#1 factor of nonvoting).
More Likely to Vote:
Older, women, and those with
high levels of income,
education, job status, party
affiliation.
Less Likely to Vote:
Younger, men, and those with
lower levels of income,
education, job status, and
party affiliation.
Influences on Voting
• socialization—studying political socialization, the
process by which people gain their political attitudes and
opinions, can also be useful in predicting voting behavior
• Sociological Factors
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Income and occupation
Gender and age
Education
Religious and Ethnic Background
Geography
Family and Other Groups
• Psychological Factors
– Party Identification-loyalty to party
– Candidates and Issues