O VERVIEW – C HAPTER 6
Voters & Voter Behavior

S UFFRAGE AKA FRANCHISE
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The right to vote – always know this definition!!!
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15 th Amendment, 1870 – African American men suffrage
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Smith v. Allwright, 1944 – outlawed white primaries (TX)
19 th Amendment, 1920 – women’s suffrage
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Civil Rights Acts helped enforce voting rights
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1957, 1960, 1964
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Voting Rights Act of 1965 – applied 15 th Amend to
ALL elections not just federal ones
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Preclearance – states that had NOT allowed majority of voters suffrage, had to submit any election rules to DoJ 1 st
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Upheld in 1966, parts overturned in 2012 (impacted 16 states)
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New laws now being challenged including PA’s

T O V OTE …
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Citizen of the US
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No religious qualifications – final elimination by
1810
23 rd Amendment, 1961 – gave Washington DC right to vote in Presidential elections = 3 electoral votes
24 th Amendment, 1964 – eliminated poll taxes
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26 th Amendment, 1971 – voting age set at 18
Otherwise, each state controls rules for registering to vote – PA = 30 days prior to election
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Residency rules – military & sales people at home state
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Some states allow college students to vote in locale of college

V OTER BEHAVIOR …
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Vote FOR Candidate A or Vote FOR Candidate B
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Vote AGAINST Candidate A
Vote AGAINST Candidate B
Decide to NOT Vote period
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2012 Election – voter turnout rate = 58.2%
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Of the almost 222 million ELIGIBLE voters, only just over 130 million voted – Minnesota – 75.7% best rate; Hawaii – 44.2% worst
Rates are worse in off – year elections
Ballot fatigue a factor – voters exhaust patience &/or knowledge as they work their way down a ballot
Cannot-voters – resident aliens, ill or physically disabled, mental health care facilities, prisons, religious issues
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Lacking Political efficacy – the sense of influence

F ACTORS THAT INFLUENCE VOTERS …
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From results of particular elections; survey research; studies of political socialization
 process how people gain political attitudes & opinions
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Sociological factors:
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Income, occupation, education, gender, age, religion, ethnic background, geography, family, “other” groups
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Psychological factors:
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Party identification
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Straight-ticket voting; split-ticket voting; independents
Candidates & issues