government 2
Bebisha
ParticipationandVotinginTexas-Spring2019.pptxVoting, Elections, and Campaigns
Cindy Casey Brown
El Centro College
Campaign Ads
Democracy is Rule by the People
How much participation by the people is necessary for a democracy to work and how do people participate?
Unconventional Political Participation
Conventional Political Participation
Political Participation Through Voting
Evaluate Any Country Based On:
Who is allowed to vote;
How much each person’s vote counts; and
How many votes are needed to win.
Who could vote when our country was formed?
15th Amendment to US Constitution
Prohibited states from denying the right to vote, “on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
1870
Legal Restrictions to Voting in the Past
Poll Tax
Harper vs. Virginia State Board of Elections of 1966
Discriminatory Voting Tests
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
The White Primary
Smith v. Allwright
Women Voters
19th Amendment
Who can vote in the United States?
No country grants the universal right to vote.
In the US you must be 18 and you must be registered to vote.
What about felons?
Why do people vote /
not vote?
Education
Socioeconomic Status
Age
Race and Gender
Political Involvement
Married People
Contested Elections
Is voting mandatory?
A Decline in Voter Turnout
How do you increase voter turnout?
Should the government register you to vote?
How do you increase voter turnout?
Register more people to vote!
Make it easier to register – i.e. register online and immediately get voter registration card. Some states allow you to register and vote in the same day.
Don’t require voter registration.
Move to federal voter registration.
Convince people their vote does matter!
Decrease time it takes to vote.
Reminders (post card, calls, emails).
Election day becomes national holiday?
Allow early voting.
Political Campaigns
Nominations – Who Can Run for Office and How do parties decide who to run? Remember Silent Campaigns!
Primary Elections
Presidential Primary Election / Caucus
Presidential Primary Election: What is the big deal with Iowa and New Hampsire?
General Elections
2016 Presidential Election (Next Presidential Election is November 2020)
https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/national.php?year=2016&off=0&elect=0&f=0
Population Centers in the US
How do you register to vote?
Campaign Finance
http://www.fec.gov/ans/answers_general.shtml#How_much_can_I_contribute
Texas Secretary of State
https://www.votetexas.gov/voting/what.html
Certifies election results
Use websites for “all
things voting” in Texas
Ballots in Texas
How do you get on the ballot in Texas?
How does a party decide who to run?
