The Electorate

Eliminating Barriers • Historically, women and African Americans

have faced the greatest barriers to suffrage• 15th and 19th Amendments - Suffrage for

African Americans and women• 24th Amendment – abolished Poll taxes • Voting Rights Act of 1965 – empowered the

federal government to outlaw discriminatory practices

• 26th Amendment – lowered voting age to 18

Non-voters

– 59.9 million people not registered in 1992 – most common reason; may be due to high mobility

– No interest in politics, negative view of government, can’t make time, low voter efficacy

Are turnout rates cause for concern?

• How to get out the vote – Election day –

Sunday?/National Holiday– Make requirement – illegal

to not vote in Brazil – Appeal to direct

participation: initiative, referendum, recall

Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections

Conduct of Elections

• Australian Ballot– Two common types:

1. Office Block (Mass) Ballot

2. Party Collumn (Ind) Ballot• Coattail effect

• Mail Voting– Typically absentee ballots, some states offer to entire

electorate– good way to increase turnout, but …– may lead to premature decisions, allow less secrecy, and

encourage fraud

Ballots

Off ice Block Party-Column

Issues and Problems• Fraud

– provisional and absentee balloting

• Voter ID cards– Fraud reduction or

voter suppression

• Computerized Voting– Optical scan vs.

touch screen