To the Polls!
A Presentation on Voting in America
Some Words To Know
• Suffrage-The right to vote
• Franchise-The Right to
Vote
• Enfranchisement-The
process of bestowing the
right to vote.
• The original framers let
states set the requirements
for who could vote. Today
states are still in charge of
registering voters and
running elections.
States Cannot Stop People from
Voting:
• Because of their “race, color or previous
conditions of servitude.” (15th Amendment)
• Because of their gender. (19th Amendment)
• Based on their age if they are 18 or older.
(26th Amendment)
• By creating a poll tax that must be paid to
be eligible to vote (24th Amendment).
Qualifications to Register to Vote
in Virginia
• Registration-The process of
enrolling with the appropriate
local government office so
you can vote
• Citizen of the United States
• Resident of Virginia and
precinct. Transients are not
allowed to vote.
• You must be 18 or older. In
Virginia you can register
when you are 17.
How to Register in Virginia
•
•
•
*
In person at the Registrar’s Office
Department of Motor Vehicles
Mail Application
Registration is closed 29 days
before election
* When you register you can
choose to include your political
party preference.
Who Can’t Vote?
• Anyone in a mental
institution or declared
mentally incompetent.
• Most states do not allow
criminals convicted of
felonies to vote.
• Some states do not allow
citizens who have been
dishonorably discharged
from the armed forces to
vote.
Voting on Election Day
• Citizens vote at their local polling place in their
precinct, or geographic voting district.
• Voters select their choice on a ballot, or the list of
candidates running for office.
• If a voter cannot be there on election day, they can
vote with an absentee ballot, a ballot they complete
and mail in and it is opened and counted on election
day.
• Election officials release the returns, or the results
of the election once votes are counted.
• The media tries to determine who won before the
returns are announced by using exit polls.
Who is Most Likely to Vote?
• Education
• Age
• Income
Who Votes and Who Doesn’t?
• PEOPLE MOST
LIKELY TO VOTE
• High Income
• Higher Education
• Higher Occupation
Status.
• Positive attitude
towards government
• Live in areas with a lot
of political
competition
• Women
• PEOPLE MOST
LIKELY NOT TO
VOTE
• Young people (under
35)
• Unmarried
• Unskilled
• Those living in the
South and in rural
areas
• Men
The Challenge of Voter Apathy
• The United States has one
of the lowest voter
turnouts in any
democratic country.
• Only 51% of registered
voters took part in the
2000 election.
• Voter turnout is even
lower during midterm
elections, or elections that
occur in years when there
is no presidential election.
Why People Don’t Vote
• Lack of Interest-People do not
care
• Cannot vote for health,
criminal, or citizenship reasons.
• People feel their vote “doesn’t
count”.
• People cannot get to the pollsweather, job demands, forget to
register, or long polling lines.