Chapter 8 – Voting and Elections

Voting

• U.S. is representative democracy
  • Free and open elections
  • Most votes wins
  • Too many elections?
  • Voter turnout rates declining
    • Votes count more in local races, but these have consistently lower turnout

Turning Out to Vote

• Voting age population = 235 million people
  • About 55% actually go to polls
  • Therefore, winner of close presidential election chosen by only one-fourth of voting-age population
• 1960 last year for good voter turnout (65%)
  • Presidential elections affect congressional and gubernatorial races
  • Lowest turnout in local elections

• Effect of low voter turnout
  • Threat to representative democratic government, or
  • Satisfaction with status quo

• Is voter turnout declining?
  • Actual voters
  • Voting age population
  • Eligible voters

• Factors influencing who votes
  • Age
  • Educational attainment
  • Minority status
  • Income level
  • Two-party competition

Why People Do not Vote

• Why people do not vote
  • Uninformative media coverage
  • Negative campaigning
  • Rational ignorance effect
    • Lack of incentive to obtain “costly” information about politicians and political issues
    • Believe individual vote not important

• Improving voter turnout
  • Mail-in voting
  • Easier registration
  • Early voting
  • Unrestricted absentee ballot
  • Election Day holiday
  • Sunday voting
  • National registration

Legal Restrictions on Voting

• In 1944, the Georgia primary was opened to African American voters as the result of a Supreme Court decision. Registrars give instructions on how to cast a ballot
• Historical restrictions:
  • Property requirements
  • Race
  • Gender
  • Age

• Current eligibility/registration requirements
  • Citizenship
  • Age 18 or older
  • Residency (varies by state)
  • Significant variance state to state
• Extension of the Voting Rights Act
  • 2006 extension helps ensure continued voting participation by minority groups

Primary Elections, General Elections

• Federal system means state and local elections
• Nomination required to appear on ballot
  • By political party (caucus or convention)
  • By petition

• Primary elections (selects candidates)
  • Closed
  • Open
  • Blanket
  • Runoff
• General elections (selects officeholders)
• Other elections
  • Special elections
  • Recall elections
  • Constitutional or referendums

How are Elections Conducted

• United States uses Australian ballot
  • Office-block ballot
  • Party-column ballot
• Voting by mail
• Many states allow paper or electronic ballots to have a “party circle” so the voter can vote for all the candidates of that party for local, state, and national offices with one mark

Fraud

• Vote fraud
  • Phony registrations
  • Absentee voting
  • Relaxed registration laws
• Mistakes by officials
• Importance of the voting machine
  • 2000 presidential election and “butterfly” ballot
  • Help America Vote Act

The Electoral College

• Choice of electors
  • State’s number of senators (two) plus number of representatives
  • District of Columbia gets three
  • Total number = 538
• Electors’ commitment
  • Pledged to vote for party’s candidate
  • Ballots counted and certified before joint session
  • Candidates need 270 electoral votes to win
  • If no majority, decision goes to House

Criticisms of the Electoral College

• Criticisms of Electoral College
  • Founders envisioned independent electors
  • Elitist to not let people directly elect president
  • Presidential campaigning focuses on states with most electors
  • System favors smaller states

• Those who favor electoral system
  • Major parties
  • Less-populous states
• National Popular Vote movement
• Naples, Florida election workers study punch-card ballots in the state supreme court’s ordered recount after the 2000 election