Voting and Election

Voting and Election

By Cedric Gillette

Lesson 1: Who Can Vote?

Qualifying to Vote

One characteristic of early civilizations is that people lived under rulers like kings, queens, and emperors. These rulers inherited their positions. The people could not choose them. The same was true of the American colonies until the colonists fought for independence. Then people began voting for their leaders. That is how it remains today. Voting is considered one of our most precious rights. It forms the basis of being an American citizen

principle - basic belief

Expanding Suffrage

Did you know that when the Constitution was written, most states only allowed white male property owners to vote? While the Declaration of Independence may have said that “All men are created equal,” that principle, or basic belief, did not apply to everyone. The right to vote, or suffrage, in many states was restricted to a small group of white, male landowners.

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suffrage - the right to vote in political elections

Adult white males who did not own property

Women

African American males

Native American males

People under 21 years of age​

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​PEOPLE ONCE BARRED FROM VOTING

Multiple Choice

The Nineteenth Amendment extended the right to vote to ___________.

• African Americans

• Native Americans

• women

• 18-year olds

Fifteenth (1870): No person can be denied the right to vote because of race or color. • This amendment extended suffrage to African Americans who were recently freed from slavery.

• Laws throughout the South were passed to prevent African Americans from voting. Beginning in the 1950s, a series of civil rights and voting rights laws were enacted to ensure African Americans true suffrage.

• In 1944, the Supreme Court ruled in Smith v. Allwright that prohibiting African Americans from voting in primary elections is unconstitutional.

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Nineteenth (1920): Prohibited the denial of the right to vote because of gender

• This amendment extended suffrage to all American women.

• Women had been fighting for suffrage since about 1848.

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Twenty-fourth (1964): Eliminated the poll tax (and any other tax) as a condition for voting • Some people who did not have the money to pay poll taxes were effectively denied the right to vote. • This amendment ensured that whether rich or poor, everyone could vote.

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Twenty-sixth (1971): No state can set the minimum age for voting at more than 18 years of age.

• Before this amendment, the voting age in most states was 21.

• This amendment provided younger people with a voice in government.

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​Suffrage Amendments

Multiple Choice

The Fifteenth Amendment states that no person can be denied the right to vote based on ________.

• his or her gender

• the color of his or her skin

• his or her national origin

• state laws

Alice Paul, from a 1972 interview quoted in a biography published by the Alice Paul Institute

"I never doubted that equal rights was the right direction. Most reforms, most problems are complicated. But to me there is nothing complicated about ordinary equality.”

​PRIMARY SOURCE

Voting Requirements Today

Today, many barriers to voting have been eliminated. More people than ever before can take part in government by voting. When an American citizen turns 18, he or she has the right to vote in all local, state, and national elections.

However, some groups of people are not eligible, or qualified, to vote. In most states, people who have committed serious crimes are not eligible to vote while imprisoned. Also, people who suffer certain mental illnesses may lose their eligibility. People born in other countries who have immigrated to the United States are not allowed to vote until they become citizens

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Some text here about the topic of discussion

Multiple Choice

In most states, people who ___________ are not eligible to vote.

• are 18 years old

• have been citizens for only 5 years

• are not homeowners

• have committed serious crimes

Registering to Vote

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To register means to officially sign up to vote. Registering puts your name on the list of

eligible voters.

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How do you register to vote? First, you have to make sure to do it on time. The process is different in different states. Most states require voters to register at least 25 days before an election. Some states let voters register on Election Day.

To register, you need to fill out a form. Registration forms ask for your name, address, age, and often your political party preference. You may register as a member of a political party or as an independent voter. You will need to provide a driver’s license, a birth certificate, or some other valid form of identification to prove your citizenship and age.

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register - to record or enroll

Multiple Choice

Voter registration is only required in certain states.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Reasons to Vote

Voting is a right and a responsibility of citizenship. When you are eligible to do so, there are important reasons why you should vote in every election. Voting gives you a chance to choose your government leaders. It also allows you to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the performance of the people who already hold office and want to be reelected. It gives you a voice in how your community, state, and country are run. In a speech in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson called the vote “the most powerful instrument ever devised . . . for breaking down injustice.”

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apathy - a lack of interest

Multiple Choice

President Lyndon B. Johnson called ___________ "the most powerful instrument ever devised... for breaking down injustice.

• the power to hold office

• the right to bear arms

• the right to vote

• a positive attitude

Multiple Choice

One good reason to vote is to express your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the people who hold office.

• TRUE

• FALSE

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A prepared voter is a voter who is informed about public issues and current events. Today, keeping up with the news is easier than ever. Web sites, television, radio, newspapers, books, and magazines are all good sources of information.

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Other sources of information may include candidates’ speeches, debates, and campaign literature. Campaign literature may be a combination of letters, pamphlets, and ads. They are distributed by political parties and by private groups. You will need to be alert to bias in these materials. Be careful to separate facts from opinions.

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Subject | Subject

register - to record or enroll

Multiple Choice

A campaign pamphlet ____________________.

• is a good source of unbiased information

• should not be relied on for information

• can be relied on for information about opposing candidates

• can be useful for information but likely contains some bias

Ask yourself questions like:

• Does the candidate stand for the things I think are important?

• Is the candidate reliable and honest?

• Does the candidate have relevant past experience?

• Will the candidate be effective in office?

• Does the candidate have a real chance of winning?

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polling place - the location where voting is carried out

Multiple Choice

When voting, a citizen should consider whether a candidate has relevant past experience.

• TRUE

• FALSE

Citizens who cannot get to the polls on Election Day can vote by absentee ballot. Typically, absentee ballots are used by people who know they will be traveling on Election Day or by military personnel serving far away from home. Voters must request an absentee ballot before the election. 

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ballot - the list of candidates for which you cast your vote

Multiple Choice

In many states, people who will be traveling on Election Day may vote ________________.

• at a different polling place

• by absentee ballot or early voting

• the day after Election Day

• up to a week after Election Day

Understanding Voter Participation

The voter turnout rate is the percentage of eligible voters who actually do vote. For example, if 100 people are eligible to vote in a community election and only 60 people vote, the voter turnout rate is 60 percent. Although it varies by election, the voter turnout rate in American elections is often well below 50 percent.

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voter turnout rate - percentage of eligible voters who actually vote

Multiple Choice

The voter turnout rate in the United States is often under 50 percent.

• TRUE

• FALSE