Post on 23-Feb-2016
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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) Ballot2. 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
BallotsOff 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