Political Behavior Chapter 6. The Right to Vote.

Political BehaviorChapter 6

The Right to Vote

Voter QualificationsThe Constitution set 5 limits on the power that

States have to set voter qualifications:

*must be also allowed to vote for members of Congress* servitude (slavery) cannot be a condition for voting rights* no gender discrimination*no age discrimination*no tax in order to vote

Quick Quiz

Name the Amendment, Act or legislation that provided voting rights and abolished restrictions on the following:

1. Black males2. Women3. Poll Taxes, Grandfather Clauses, Literacy Tests4. District of Columbia residents can vote for President5. 18 year olds

Quick Quiz

Name the Amendment, Act or legislation that provided voting rights and abolished restrictions on the following:

1. Black males: 15th Amend. (1870)

2. Women: 19th Amend. (1920)

3. Poll Taxes, Grandfather Clauses, Literacy TestsCivil Rights Act of 1965

4. District of Columbia residents can vote for President: 23rd. Amend. (1961)

5. 18 year olds: 26th Amend (1971)

Voter Qualifications

Citizenship-

Residence - 30 days, Dunn v Blumstein, 1972, prohibiting transients

Age- 18 thanks to 26th Amendment

Registration

Motor Voter Law 1995 - DMV, by mail, and at major civic sites

Purging and poll books

Literacy Tests

finally led to 1970 Voting Rights Act Amendments...Supreme Court agreed in Oregon v Mitchell, 1970

Tax Payment- no poll tax

24th Amendment

In Harper v Va Board of Elections the Supreme Court agreed the Va tax was in conflict with the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause.

Felons

Dishonorably discharged

Mentally incompetant

Suffrage and Civil Rights

Gerrymandering- drawing electoral district lines (the boundaries of the geographic area from which a candidate is elected to public office) in order to limit (or encourage) the voting strength of a particular group or party

15th Amendment- right to vote cannot be denied to any citizen of the US because of race, color, or previous conditions of servitude (1870)

1. Civil Rights Act 1957 - set up US Civil Rights Commission

2. Civil Rights Act 1960- added federal voting referees

Early Civil Rights Legislation

still it is not enough...


3. Civil Rights Act 1964- broader; outlawed discrimination in job-related matters.


*forbids any voter registration in unfair manner

*forbids literacy requirement

*used judicial action- injunction- court order that compels or restrains

1965still it is not enough...

3. Voting Rights Act 1965- this finalized the 15th Amendment


*applied to all elections held anywhere whether it be state, local, or federal

* originally for 5 years but expanded in 1970, 1975, 1982 (this one for 25 years....ended in 2007 - was it extended?)


* this law meant Attny. General could challenge Constitutionality of Poll Tax.Harper v. Va. Board of Elections 1966

*fed govt could register voters*fed govt oversee elections* attny gen can appt examiners

3. Voting Rights Act 1965- this finalized the 15th Amendmentthere is more...


*preclearance - any state where majority of population could not vote in 1964 could not change voting laws without federal preclearance

this brought review of issues such as- location of polling places-boundaries of election districts (gerrymandering, redistricting)- deadlines in election process-from ward or district election to at-large elections- qualifications of candidates to run for office


3. Voting Rights Act 1965- this finalized the 15th Amendmentthere is more...


*upheld in South Carolina v Katzenbach


Voter Behaviorhttp://electionstudies.org/nesguide/gd-index.htm#1

http://electionstudies.org/nesguide/gd-index.htm#1

Who Votes?

* Higher income, education, and professional status*lower $ - tend to be Democrat*higher $ - tend to be Republican

*Life long residents

*strong sense of party identification

*more women vote than men

Who’s Not Voting?

* Younger than 35*Not married*unskilled*South, or rural areas

Who Votes?

the electorate, or people who are allowed to vote, are citizens older than 18

Only 51.6% of the population voted for president in 2004

Only 46% voted for Congress

http://electionstudies.org/nesguide/toptable/tab6a_2.htm

Who Votes?

Factors That Affect Voting

*Political efficacy- do you feel like your vote counts?

FamilyAgeAccess to votingMethods of voting

Political Behavior Chapter 6. The Right to Vote.

Documents

Transcript of Political Behavior Chapter 6. The Right to Vote.