Campaigns & Elections
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By Loren Miller “Good thing we’ve still got politics in Texas— finest form of free entertainment ever invented.” Molly Ivins
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Campaigns & Elections. “Good thing we’ve still got politics in Texas— f inest form of free e ntertainment ever i nvented.” Molly Ivins. By Loren Miller. Voting Qualifications. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of Campaigns & Elections
By Loren Miller
“Good thing we’ve stillgot politics in Texas—finest form of freeentertainment ever invented.”
Molly Ivins
Voting QualificationsEach state has complete discretion concerning voting qualifications for national, state and local elections – subject only to the limitations presented in the U.S. Constitution (race, color, age, gender, or non-payment of a poll tax)
Texas: (Texas Election Code 11.002)18 years of ageU.S. citizenHas not been determined mentally incompetent by
a courtHas not been convicted of a felony (unless rights
have been restored)Resident of the state and county (30 days)Registered voter (within 30 days of election)
Over 70% of the Texas voting population is registered(Motor Voter Law)
Voting In Texas
The right to vote has not always been as widespread in the United States as it is today.
Texas has a history of preventing people from voting by placing barriers (legal and otherwise) to the ballot.
These barriers were implemented after the passage of the 14th and 15th Amendments.
These amendments were intended to prevent denial of the right to vote based on race.
Voting In Texas
After the Civil War Texas law permitted men of all races and ethnicities to vote if they met simple age, residency and citizenship requirements.
Texas, like many states allowed illegal aliens to vote if they declared an intent to become a U.S. citizen.
Huge impact in South Texas elections
Elections were overseen by local officials, usually the county judge or county sheriff.
Literacy Tests (used in Texas) began to be used in the 1870s and required prospective voters to take a screening test that conditioned voter registration on a person’s literacy.
Voting In Texas
The Ku Klux Klan used terrorist tactics to keep African Americans from voting.
Northeast Texas was a hotbed of Klan activity.
By the 1890s, Blacks and Hispanics were managed by “influence men.”
“Owl Meetings” in East Texas and “Goat Barbeques” in South Texas (where the liquor flowed) were held the night prior to the election.
Grandfather Clause (not used in Texas) stated that if your grandfather could vote prior to 1867, then you would be exempt from educational, property, or tax requirements for voting.
Declared unconstitutional in Guinn v. U.S. (1915)
Voting In Texas
The Poll Tax was used in Texas beginning in 1902 and required that citizens pay a special tax ($1.75) to become eligible to vote.
Many low-income Texans failed to pay their poll tax between October 1 and January 31 and were not eligible to vote during the next year.
The 24th Amendment (1964) ended this practice in federal electionsThe Supreme Court declared this unconstitutional in 1966 for all other elections (Harper v. Virginia)
The White Primary
The southern states were solidly Democratic, so who ever won the Democratic primary was assured of winning the general election.
The Democratic Party is a private organization and they established that one of the requirements for membership was that you had to be white.
The White Primary
The General Election
Democrat v Republican
Winner Loser
Democratic Primary
(whites only)
Smith v. Allwright, 1944
The White Primary
The General Election
Democrat v Republican
Winner Loser
Democratic Primary
The Jaybird Primary
(whites only)Terry v. Adams, 1953
Voting In Texas
Racial Gerrymandering is used in Texas to minimize the impact of minority voters.
Packing minorities into districts that are overwhelmingly minority.
Cracking minorities so that they do not constitute a majority.
Voter ID Law in Texas
Approved forms of identification:
- a valid Texas Driver’s License
- an identification card issued by the DPS
- a concealed hand gun license issued by the DPS
- an election ID card issued by the DPS
- a U.S. passport
- a military ID card with a photograph
- a U.S. citizenship certificate with a photograph
Voter ID Law in Texas
A student photo ID is not accepted.
The name on your ID must exactly match the name on the official voting roles.
- if the names are not a perfect match, you may cast a provisional ballot
- both Wendy Davis and Greg Abbott cast provisional ballots in the 2013 constitutional amendment election as their names did not
match the voting roles
Types of Elections
General Election-- an election to fill state or national offices in November of even numbered years-- some states allow voters to cast a straight-ticket ballot (Texas is one of them)
-- a split-ticket ballot involves voters casting their ballots for candidates of two or more political parties
-- to win a general election most states require a plurality of votes (Georgia requires a majority, which might require a runoff)
Types of ElectionsPrimary Election
-- an election held to determine a party’s nominee for the general election-- a candidate with the most votes wins the primary
election in most states-- some states (in the South) require that the candidate have a majority to win which might require a runoff
Closed Primary-- only registered party members can participate in their party’s primary
Open Primary-- allows voters to pick the party primary of their choice
Jungle Primary-- all of the candidates for an office run in the same
primary regardless of party affiliation (California)
Types of ElectionsAt-large Election
-- a method for choosing public officials in which the citizens of an entire political subdivision, such as a state, vote to select officeholders
-- election for governor of Texas-- election for the U.S. House for states with only one representative-- election for the U.S. Senate
District Election-- a method for choosing public officials that divides a political subdivision, such as a state, into
geographic areas called districts; each district elects one official
-- election for the U. S. House in Texas (36)-- election for the Texas House (150) and Texas Senate (31)
At-Large v. Single Member Districts
Voter TurnoutIn Texas, turnout is higher in presidential elections than in nonpresidential elections—this follows the national trend.
The voter turnout in Texas falls well below the national average. Why?
Long ballot and lack of information about candidates and issuesVoter fatigue (too many elections)Negative campaigningLow levels of educational attainmentLow per capita incomeHigh rate of povertyYoung populationLittle party competition
Texas Turnout
Demographics of Voter Turnout in 2012
National 18-24 25-44 45-64 65-74 75+ Total 41.2 57.3 68.9 73.5 70.0 61.8
Texas 25.4 47.3 62.6 74.7 72.6 53.8
Age
Gender
Male FemaleNational 59.7 63.7
Texas 50.8 56.6
Race
White Black Hispanic AsianNational 62.2 66.2 48.0 47.4
Texas 53.1 63.1 38.8 43.4
% of Votes Cast in Texas Elections by Race and Ethnicity
19761980
19841988
19921996
20002004
20082012
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 3 2
9 8 9 8 8 9 9 10 11 1211 11 13 13 1217 18 18 18 17
78 7974 76 77
7269 68
65 67
AsianBlackHispanicAnglo
Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections(as % of Voting Eligible Population)
1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 201250
52
54
56
58
60
62
64
5655 55
57
54
59
53
55
6162
59
Voter Turnout By State in 2012(as % of Voting Eligible Population)
Highest Turnout Lowest Turnout
1. Minnesota 76.1% 41. Kentucky 55.9%2. Wisconsin** 73.2% 42. New Mexico 54.9%3. Colorado** 71.1% 43. New York 53.6%4. New Hampshire** 70.9% 44. Arizona 53.3%5. Iowa** 70.2% 45. Tennessee 52.6%6. Maine 69.2% 46. Arkansas 51.0%7. Virginia** 66.9% 47. Texas 50.1%8. Maryland 66.8% 48. Oklahoma 49.6%9. Massachusetts 66.6% 49. West Virginia 46.8%10. Michigan 65.3% 50. Hawaii 44.5%
Five of the ten states with the highest turnout have some form of election day registration.Five of the ten states with the highest turnout were swing states.**
Average turnout in the 10 swing states was 7.2% higher than in the non-swing states.Five of the lowest turnout states are considered solidly Democratic or solidly Republican and
have more burdensome registration requirements.
Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections
Most states saw a decline in turnout compared to 2008. Turnoutdecline was noticeably higher in the non-swing states.
Largest Increase Largest Decrease
1. Utah** 2.6% 41. Missouri -9.2%
2. Colorado 1.0% 42. New Mexico -9.2%3. Wisconsin 0.5% 43. Connecticut -9.2%4. Massachusetts 0.1% 44. Texas -9.2%5. Iowa 0.0% 45. Wyoming -9.7%6. New Hampshire -1.5% 46. West Virginia -9.8%7. Virginia -1.7% 47. California -10.7%8. North Carolina -2.0% 48. Hawaii
-12.4%9. Maryland -2.3% 49. Oklahoma -13.1%10. Mississippi -2.3% 50. Alaska
-13.4%** The Romney Factor
Early Voting
Thirty-two states have some form of early voting.
In Texas, early voting begins two weeks prior to the election and ends four days before the election.
Early Voting:2004 23%2008 31%2012 35%
Older voters prefer to vote early, while younger persons prefer to vote in-person on election day.
Election Day RegistrationElection day registration allows voters to register or update their registration at the polls on Election Day and then cast a regular ballot.
States with EDR have consistently higher voter participation rates
In 2012, states with EDR had an average turnoutof 71.3%; this was 12.5% higher than theturnout in states without EDR.
All EDR states had voter turnout above the national average.
Election Day RegistrationStates that allow election day registration:
Colorado 2013California 2012Connecticut 2012Idaho 1994Iowa 2007Maine 1973Minnesota 1974Montana 2005New Hampshire 1996Wisconsin 1975Wyoming 1994
Campaign Finance
“Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even
to be defeated!”Will Rogers
“Money makes the mare go.”Lyndon B. Johnson
“There are two things that matterin politics. The first is money. I
can’t remember the second.”Mark Hanna
Campaign Finance
Election campaigns are expensive, so candidates need to raise plenty of money to be competitive.
The amount of money raised could be the deciding factor in the campaign as over 90% of congressional candidates who raise the most money are victorious.
The Texas “record” for spending belongs to Tony Sanchez who in 2002 spent over $60 million (most of it his own money) and lost his race for governor.
Many Texans are qualified to hold public office, but relatively few can pay their own campaign expenses.
Campaign Finance
Candidates need money to hire a campaign staff, cover overhead expenses, purchase advertising, and pay for travel.
They hire: consultants to plan strategy pollsters to assess public reaction to candidates and issuesmedia consultants to develop an advertising campaign field organizers to get out the voteopposition researchers to dig for dirt on
opponents internet consultants to design websitesand fundraisers to find the cash to pay for it all
Campaign Finance
Other money goes for campaign literature, office space, postage, telephones, polling, and consulting fees.
The single largest item in a big-time campaign budget is media, especially television.
a weeks worth of television advertising in the major media markets costs more than $1.5
milliona 30 second spot in the ten o’clock news in Dallasis about $5,000a 30 second spot during prime time runs upwards of $20,000a 60 second radio spot in an early morning drive show runs more than $500
Campaign Finance
Most states restrict the amount of money individuals and groups can contribute to candidates for office, but not Texas.
Two-thirds of the states limit campaign contributions and one-third provide public funding for campaigns in exchange for voluntary spending limits.
Texas law places no limits on campaign contributions or on campaign expenditures for candidates for executive or legislative office
Candidates may raise an unlimited amount of money from individuals or PACs as long as they report the names, occupations and employers of people who gave them $500 or more
Bob Perry, Houston Homebuilder
Campaign Strategy
Campaign Goals:1) Build name recognition (incumbency advantage)
a) Some do not need this, e.g., Bush, Kennedy, Yarborough, Gene Kelly.
2) Create a favorable image for the candidate (Perry)
3) Create an unfavorable image of your opponent (Perry)4) Get supporters to the polls
a) a well organized campaign identifies likely voters and encourages them to voteb) turnout is more important for Democrats than Republicans
