Dec 14, 2015
Registration
• Must register at least 25 days before the election
• You can register by mail, or at post offices, DMVs, libraries, and schools
• Must submit your name, address, age, and proof of citizenship to register
• Must pick a political party– Democrat, Republican, or Independent
• Electorate- all people eligible to vote
Ballots
• Ballot- list of candidates on which you cast your vote
• Electronic-
Touchscreen computer
With results are stored
on a memory cartridge
Ballots cont• Lever Machine-
voters push or pull a lever
• Paper Ballot- voters mark a box next to the candidate and then drop it into a ballot box
Polling Place
• Polling Place- location where voting is carried out (ex. schools, churches, fire stations, etc.)– Usually open very early and late on election day
• Precinct- voting district
Ways to vote
• Straight ticket- voting for all candidates in one political party
• Split ticket- voting for some candidates from each political party (most common)
• Write-in vote- writing in the name of someone to vote for who is not on the ballot
• Absentee ballot- used for people who can not get to the polls on election day– Out of town, military, sick, elderly, etc.– Must request and return in advance of election day
Exit Polls• Returns-official election results
• In a major election the media and party workers try to predict a winner as soon as possible
• Exit Polls- asking a sample of voters leaving the polling place how they voted
• In some cases the
networks make these
calls with as little as
10% of the vote
Types of Elections
• Initiative- citizens can propose new laws or state constitutional amendments
• Proposition- proposed law put on a ballot because of a petition
• Referendum- citizens can approve or reject state or local laws
• Recall- citizens can vote to remove a public official from office