Elections and Voting Behavior

Elections and

Voting Behavior

Can you vote?! Suffrage – The right to vote. Who can’t vote in the U.S?

Incarcerated criminals Non-citizens (immigrants) In some states, Felons. Some states ban those on parole

from voting.

To Vote, or Not To Vote

Political Efficacy - The belief an individual has that their individual vote truly does make a difference in government

Civic Duty – The belief that an individual should vote to support the democratic process. Voting preserves the right to vote

Voter Registration

The requirement that voters must register before voting. Some states require to be

registered 30 days before the election

Some states allow day-of registration These states had higher

voting turn out than others in 2008

Why is voter turnout low?

1. Many voters forget to register. 2.Citizens vote more here than other

nations 1 official for 500 citizens.

3. Choices are very similar Not a radical choice like Democracy vs. Fascism

4.Mid-week elections One of the few nations without elections on the

weekend.

Who votes anymore anyway? Education – those with

higher-than-average education vote more frequently than others

Age – Older citizens tend to vote more than younger

Race – racial minorities tend to be underrepresented

The List Keeps Going

Gender – Women were typically discouraged from voting, now they vote more often than men

Marital Status – People who are married vote more often

Government employee – Have something to lose

Felon’s Rights

How many adults aren’t given the right to vote?

What does it mean to disenfranchise?

Where do the majority of these blocked voters live?

How does this make you feel?

Party Identifier Simplifies the Political sphere for voters “People choose to identify with a party which

they generally agree…As a result they need not concern themselves with every issue that comes along, but generally rely on their party designation to guide them”

Parties tend to rely on demographics for voters Democrats – Jewish, and Minority voters Republicans – Conservative evangelicals, and upper-

class Americans

Floating Voters? Floating voters – votes for the best

candidates based on their research and concerns Young people are likely to belong to this

group Vote differently regardless of party

3D Candidates worrying about

image concentrate on 3 dimensions 1. Reliability 2. Competence 3. Integrity

More educated voters tend to take these into consideration when voting

Policy Voting

Voting in line with a candidate/party’s policies. Stance on abortion, war,

tax reform etc. Candidates sometimes

use vague language Nixon and Humphrey

avoided taking a clear stance on Vietnam

Conditions Policy voting generally follows 4

conditions 1. Voters must have a clear sense of their

policy views. 2. Voters must know where candidates stand

on policies 3. Must see differences between candidates 4. Must cast a vote in favor for a candidate

with their views. Tend to follow these rules 71% of the time