TOPIC 5.2- VOTER TURNOUT

TOPIC 5.2- VOTER TURNOUT

Deciding to Vote

• Trends in Voter Turnout

• Only through elections and other forms of participation can citizens directly influence the conduct of government.

• At the present time, there are approximately 230 million people of voting age in the United States.

• Only about 61% of eligible voters actually voted in the 2016 presidential election.

Trends in Voter Turnout

• The majority of the U.S. electorate does not vote in nonpresidential elections.

• The voter turnout rate in the United States is lower than in most other Western democracies.

• On the whole, voter participation has been declining over the past 100 years.

Factors that Increase Voter Turnout

• Individuals with high levels of political efficacy and civic duty are more likely to vote. Political efficacy is the belief that ordinary people can influence the government.

• Some people will vote simply to support democratic government, that is, to make a long-term contribution toward preserving democracy (civic duty).

• Individuals who see policy differences between the two parties are more likely to vote. The greater the policy differences between the candidates, the more likely voters will be able to steer government policies by their choices.

Factors that Increase Voter Turnout

• Many journalists and politicians believe the winner of an election has a mandate from the people to carry out the policies he or she promised during the campaign.

• Electoral Competitiveness: One of the most important factors is the competitiveness of the presidential election in each state. 69% of voters in the ten most competitive states cast a ballot in 2020, compared to the national average of 66%.

• Election Type:  Low turnout is most pronounced in primary elections, off-year elections for state legislators, and local elections.

Multiple Choice

Which type of election has higher voter turnout?

• Presidential elections

• Midterm elections

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements about voting behavior in the United States is correct?

• College graduates are more likely to vote than are those who have at most a high school diploma.

• Voters under the age of 25 are more likely to vote than are those in any other age group.

• Registration requirements have no significant effect on voter turnout.

• Since 1920, the proportion of women who have voted is approximately the same as the proportion of men who have voted.

• During the twentieth century, the proportion of African Americans who voted was approximately the same as the proportion of White Americans who voted.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true of voter turnout in the United States?

• Three-fourths of the electorate votes in a presidential election.

• The South votes in larger numbers than does any other region of the country.

• Men vote in larger numbers than do women.

• There is no relationship between the age of the voter and participation rates.

• The voter-participation rate is one of the lowest of any industrialized nation.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the most important institutional barrier today to voter turnout?

• Voter registration

• Poll taxes

• Literacy tests

• Polling sites located too far away

Factors that Decrease Turnout

• Voter Registration

• With the exception of North Dakota, all states have voter registration laws requiring eligible voters to first place their name on an electoral roll in order to be allowed to vote.

• Most Western democracies do not require voter registration.

• Registration laws have significantly reduced fraud. However, they have created an obstacle that discourages some people from voting, particularly those with limited mobility or education.

Voter Registration

• The Motor Voter Act of 1993 made voter registration easier by allowing people to register to vote while applying for or renewing a driver’s license.

• Turnout increased in both the 1996 and 2000 elections following the passage of the Motor Voter Act.

• The U.S. compares well against other democracies in terms of registered voters that vote.  

• The real problem therefore is not so much voter apathy, but the relative percentage of registered voters. Only about 2/3 of eligible citizens are registered to vote.

Decline in Political Efficacy

• Political efficacy is the belief that political participation and voting can make a difference.

• Citizens who have a low level of political efficacy believe that their votes will have no effect on the outcome of an election.

• A rising level of cynicism and a corresponding decline in trust of government have combined to reduce political efficacy and lower voter turnout rates. People therefore become turned off to the system and refuse to participate.

Frequent Elections

• America’s federal system produces more elections than any other modern democracy.

• The large number of elections reduces voter turnout by making it difficult for citizens to keep up with all the candidates running for office.

• U.S. citizens. Nonetheless, a majority of the American electorate does not vote in elections at all levels of government, particularly midterm, gubernatorial, and local elections.

Multiple Choice

A decline in political efficacy is likely to lead to

• an increase in political participation and renewed interest in political life.

• an decline in political participation and withdraw political life.

• less dishonesty by elected representatives

• a stronger belief in values of liberty and equality

Multiple Choice

The belief that citizens can influence what government does is called

• political efficacy

• political saliency

• popular sovereignty

• autocracy

Multiple Choice

What term means a citizens' faith and trust in government and their belief that they can understand and influence political affairs.

• political apathy

• political efficacy

• political socialization

• party loyalty

Weekday, Non-Holiday Voting

• Many Western democracies hold elections on weekends and on national holidays.

• Most elections in the United States are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

• Elections were originally held on Tuesdays in the early 1800s because that was the time when all the farmers from the surrounding region were in the city for market day.

• Holding elections on a weekday makes it difficult for many people to leave work in order to vote

Voter ID Laws

• Many states require voters to present some form of identification at the voting booth. While some accept multiple forms of ID, including a utility bill or paycheck stub, others require government-issued photo identification.

• These requirements have brought criticism and constitutional challenges. Some conservatives say the IDs are necessary to decrease the chances of voter fraud, while liberals believe Republicans are trying to set up barriers to voters less likely to have an ID, most of whom tend to vote Democratic.  

Voter ID Laws

• Liberal critics say these laws create a structural impediment and unfairly disenfranchise the lower socioeconomic groups—minorities, workers, the poor, and immigrants—as they are less likely than others to have IDs. Roughly 25% of eligible black voters and 16% of Hispanics do not have IDs as compared to 9% of whites.

• Some states allow citizens to cast provisional ballots if they don’t have their ID with them. If they return with the necessary ID, their provisional ballots can be cast.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements most accurately compares elections in the United States with those in most other Western democracies?

• United States citizens have fewer opportunities to vote in elections.

• Political parties exert a stronger influence over voting in the United States

• There are fewer obstacles to voting in the United States

• There are more political parties in the United States

• The voter turnout rate in the United States is usually lower

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements is true based on the data in the line graph?

• In 1988 and 1992, voters 18–29 years old favored the Democratic candidate more than voters 65 and older did.

• In the 2000 election, the gap between voters 65 and older and 18–29 years old was 2%, with voters older than 65 preferring the Democratic candidate.

• In 1972 and 1984, voters 65 and older favored the Democratic candidate more than voters 18–29 years old did.

• In the 2012 election, the gap between voters 65 and older and 18–29 years old was 8%, with 18–29-year-old voters preferring the Democratic candidate.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following conclusions is supported by the information on the map?
Trump: Red
Clinton:Blue

• Trump and Clinton won an equal amount of votes, so the election was really a tie.
• Clinton won fewer states than Trump, because independents voted in large numbers.
• Clinton won states along the east and west coasts, while Trump won many states in the South.
• Clinton was supported by California voters, while Trump was supported by voters in New York.

Multiple Choice

The smallest unit of election administration; a voting district

• Poll Taxes

• Precinct

• Off-Year Election

• Ballot

Multiple Choice

The measurable difference between the party choices of women and men

• Caucus

• Absentee Voting

• Gender Gap

• Voter Caging

Multiple Choice

The measurable difference between the party choices of women and men

• Caucus

• Absentee Voting

• Gender Gap

• Voter Caging

Open Ended

According to this lesson(complete the statement)

Voters within the bible belt tend to vote.....

Open Ended

The image reflects lack of .......

Open Ended

The image reflects what idea about voting laws.

Open Ended

With the knowledge of today's lesson I can Explain the roles that individual choice and state laws play in voter turnout in elections.