Voting

Paulo is a citizen and a resident of the city where he's voting. On Election Day, he votes in favor of a new law. The law receives majority support and passes. It goes into effect on January 1. This is an example of

• direct democracy.

• representative democracy.

• a presidential election.

• an absentee ballot.

Ariella is a citizen and a resident of the state where she's voting. On Election Day, she votes for the candidate she wants to represent her. The candidate who wins will go on to vote on laws as part of the U.S. Senate. This is an example of

• direct democracy.

• representative democracy.

• a presidential election.

• an absentee ballot.

In the U.S., presidential elections occur every _____ years.

• two

• four

• six

• eight

In November 2014, there was a general election for seats in U.S. Congress. All seats in the House of Representatives and half the seats in Senate were up for election. What type of election was this?

• presidential election

• special election

• midterm elections

• ballot initiative

Which of these is not a requirement to vote in the United States?

• a U.S. citizen

• a state resident

• at least 21 years of age

• not in prison for a felony

An informed voter is one who does which of these?

• knows which issues mater most to them

• researches the candidates

• learns about the candidates' platforms

• all of the above

Which of these best allows people to hear directly from several candidates at one time about different issues?

• an op-ed in the newspaper

• a political ad

• a campaign rally

• a debate

Which of these best describes the history of voting rights in the U.S.?

• The only major change occurred when the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age.

• At the country's founding, only white, landowning men could vote. Activists worked to get voting rights for everyone.

• Voting has been a right given to men and women of all races since the country's founding.

• At the country's founding, only white, landowning men could vote. Legislation in 1865 granted that right to everyone else.

In the U.S. today, a person can be required to do which of these in order to vote?

• graduate from a four-year college or university

• pass a literacy test

• pay a tax at their polling place

• register in their state of residence

Voter turnout refers to the

• percentage of eligible voters who actually cast a ballot

• percentage of citizens meeting the requirements who actually register to vote

• average distance people live from their polling place

• number of people represented by a candidate they did not vote for