Voter Behavior

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Voter Behavior
2
Who can vote?

• 1789 Only white male property owners
• 1850 Nearly all white adult males.
• 1870 All men over 21.
• 1920 All men and women over 21.
• 1971 All men and women over 18.
• Todays electorate more than 200 million people.

3
Voter Qualifications

• Reserved Power (for the States).
• Constitution sets 5 restrictions on the States
• If a state allows someone to vote in state
  elections they must allow them to vote in
  national elections.
• No state can stop someone from voting due to
  their race, color, or previous condition of
  servitude
• No state can stop someone from voting because of
  their sex.
• No state can make people pay a tax in order to
  nominate or elect someone to office.
• No state can stop someone from voting who is at
  least 18 years of age, because of their age.

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• Citizenship Aliens cant vote, but there is
  nothing in the constitution to stop them. States
  could allow this.
• Only Minnesota requires a naturalized citizen be
  an American citizen for 3 months before they can
  vote. Other states allow voting directly after
  naturalization.
• Residence Most states require that you live in
  the State for some period of time before you can
  vote.
• 10 50 days. Most states require 30 days.
• Keeps the political machine from bribing
  outsiders to vote in local elections.
• Voters need time to become familiar with the
  candidates issues of that state.
• Age 26th Amendment 18 yrs. Is the minimum
  voting age.
• In many states if you will be 18 by the general
  election you can vote in the primaries at 17!
• Registration All but N. Dakota require voter
  registration.
• voter identification to prevent fraud. Give
  election officials a list of people qualified to
  vote.
• Some feel this should be done away with stops
  people from voting.
• Motor Voter Law made it easier to register.
• In IL Oct 5 was the last day to register. WI
  allows registration even on election day.

5
Who cannot vote?

• People in Mental Institutions.
• People found to be mentally incompetent.
• People who have been convicted of serious crimes.
• In a few states those dishonorably discharged
  from the armed forces.
• In some states vagrants, polygamists, duelists.

6
Nonvoting

• The word Idiot derives from the Greek word
  idiotes citizens who did not vote or take
  part in public life in ancient Greece.

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Voter Turnout
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• Approximately 100,000 people choose note to vote
  in presidential elections. There are more who do
  not vote in off-years.
• Voting takes place every 2 years for Congressmen
  only ever 4 years for president.

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Why people dont vote.

• Cannot vote resident aliens, mentally ill, in
  prison, physically ill, physically disabled,
  traveling unexpectedly, religious beliefs prevent
  it, discrimination, etc.
• Think their vote wont make a difference.
• Satisfied with the world and think things will
  always continue the way they are.
• Distrust of politics and politicians.
• No political efficacy (lack of understanding
  their own influence or effectiveness in politics)
• To difficult to vote
• Difficult to register, ballots are too long, long
  lines at polling places, bad weather

10

• Time Zone Fallout
• Polls on the east coast close before those on the
  west coast.
• Media predicts the winner before voters in the
  west have gone to the polls and some find this
  discouraging.
• Lack of interest apathy

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Who votes? Who doesnt?

• Regular Voters
• higher income levels higher job status
• higher education levels
• integrated into community life long time
  residents
• Strong party identification
• Strong political efficacy
• Nonvoters
• Younger than 35
• Unmarried
• Unskilled
• Southern or Rural dwellers
• Opposite of above.

12
Voter Behavior

• Sociological Factors (the influence of society at
  large)
• Income, Occupation
• Upper-income brackets Republican
• Lower income brackets Democratic
• Education
• Those with more education used to vote Republican
  it is becoming more and more even.
• Gender/Age
• Since 1980 Women are less likely to vote
  Republican.
• Younger voters tend to vote Democratic.
• Religious, Ethnic Background
• Northern Protestants Republican
• Catholics and Jews Democratic
• Nonwhite Democratic
• Hispanic Puerto Rican Democratic
• Cuban Republican
• Geography
• Urban Democratic
• Suburban Rural Republican
• Family group affiliations

13
Psychological Factors

• Party Identification
• Loyalty to one party may cause one to do straight
  ticket-voting
• This may be weakening as there is more
  split-ticket voting (began to increase in the
  1960s)
• Also many claim to be Independents
• Candidates and Issues
• Impressions made by candidates on voters
• Projected image personality, character, style,
  appearance, past record, abilities, etc.
• Issues increasingly important over the past 30
  years.
• Civil Rights, Vietnam War, Watergate Scandal,
  social economic problems