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“It is not enough that people have the right to vote…People must have the reason to

vote as well.”

Jesse Jackson

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• The Right to Vote

– Constitution left suffrage qualifications to each state

• Suffrage (Franchise) The right to vote.

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• Expanding the Electorate

– In 1789 only 1 in 15 could vote (voters had to be white male and property owner).

– Electorate- Is the potential voting population.

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• Early voting requirements: White, male, over 21, property owner, church going. Only about 1 in 30 could vote. – Extending suffrage came in 5 stages

• 1) 1800’s religious requirement dropped• 2) 1870 15th amendment protects right to vote

regardless of race• 3) 1920 19th amendment women get to vote

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• 4) 1960’s Voting rights act of 1965—forced states to allow blacks to vote. 23rd Amendment granted residents of Washington DC sufferage. 24th amendment outlaws poll tax.

• 5) 1971 26th amendment States must set voting age at 18 years or less. “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote.”

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Constitution does not outline suffrage rights, that power is left to the individual states.

Constitution only outlines what states cannot do.

States cannot:

decide what elections people vote in

deny right to vote on sex, race, or color

No poll tax

Over 18

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• Voter Qualifications:– 3 Universal Requirements

• 1) Citizenship in the U.S.

• 2) Residence: Must be legal resident of the state you vote in. Length of residence varies state to state.

• 3) Minimum age at no more than 18 years (18 to 20 year olds have lowest voter turnout of any group).

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• Registration: A procedure of voter identification that prevents fraudulent voting. A common feature since the 1900’s.

– U.S. is the only country in the world to require voter registration.

• Who cannot vote? People in mental institutions, and those convicted of a felony.

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• Gerrymandering: the practice of drawing electoral lines in order to limit the voting strength of a particular group or party.

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• Voter behavior:– Nonvoters (Idiot- Greek word for citizens who

did not vote or refused to participate in public life.)

– In 2000 205.8 million people eligible to vote

– Only 105.3 voted or 51.2%– 100 million eligible to vote did not.

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• Non-voters: Choose not to vote– Physically unable– Sick– Traveling– Happy with things– Political efficacy: lack any sense of their own

influence or effectiveness in politics– Ballot Fatigue: The farther down the ballot an

office is the less number of votes cast.

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• Voters to Non-voters

• Voters- Higher levels of income, education, occupational status, long time residents, and strong party identification.

• Non-Voters- younger than 35, unmarried, unskilled jobs, rural, male.

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• Republicans– on average – Higher income– More education– Male– White– Rural – Family – Strong Party Identification

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• Democrats– On average– Lower income– Less education– Female– Younger– Live in Cities– Strong Party identification– Family

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• Straight ticket voting: Voting for candidates of only one party.

• Split ticket voting: Voting for candidates of more than one party.