Voting and Elections

15th Amendment

• States that no state may take away a person’s voting rights on the basis of race, color or previous enslavement

19th Amendment

• Protects the right of women to vote in all national and state elections

Voting Eligibility

• At least 18 years old• Resident of the state registered in• Citizen of the United States• Not have been convicted of a serious crime

Polling Place

• The location where voting is carried out– Usually in public buildings such as schools,

churches or libraries

Precinct

• A voting district that contains a certain number of voters

Ballot

• A list of candidates and issues a voter uses to cast their vote

Florida 2000 Election

• Election between George W. Bush and Al Gore came down to Florida

• “Butterfly ballots” confused many voters who accidentally chose a different candidate

• “Hanging chads” were partially punched cards that had to be hand checked for accuracy

• George W. Bush eventually won Florida and the election

Straight Ticket

• Voting for all the candidates in one political party

Split Ticket

• Voting for some candidates from one party and some from another

Absentee Ballot

• A way for people to vote who cannot get to the polls– Must be requested before Election Day and then

mail it in

Returns

• Voting results

Exit Poll

• A survey taken at polling places of how people voted– Allows specialists to predict winners before all

votes are counted

“Dewey Defeats Truman”

• Headline for the November 2, 1948 Chicago Tribune

• Incorrectly stated that Thomas E. Dewey had defeated Harry S. Truman

Electorate

• All the people who are eligible to vote

Apathy

• A lack of interest that prevents some citizens from voting

Types of Elections

• Primary • General• Issues• Special

Primary Election

• A preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office

General Election

• A regularly scheduled local, state, or national election in which voters elect officeholders.

Issues Election

• An election in which voters vote on new laws or constitutional amendments

Special Election

• When voters are asked to vote for a unplanned election such as a runoff election and a recall election

Runoff Election

• A special election in which no candidate wins a majority of the vote in the general election

Recall Election

• A special election in which citizens vote to remove a public official from office

Initiative

• A way citizens can propose new laws or state constitutional amendments

Proposition

• A proposed law that is put on the ballot at a general election

Referendum

• When citizens petition to have a law sent back to the voters for their approval

Election Process

• 1) Nomination of candidate• 2) Campaign• 3) Vote

Electoral College

• A group of people selected by each state legislature to select the president and vice president

Winner-take-all

• System in which the candidate who wins the popular vote for a state receives all of the state’s electoral votes

Canvassing

• When candidates or their representatives travel through neighborhoods asking for votes or public opinion polls

Endorsement

• When a famous person supports or campaigns for a candidate

Propaganda

• Information designed to influence opinion or promote a particular person or idea

Federal Election Campaign Finance Act

• Established– Individual limits on donations– Created the Federal Election Commission– Forces public disclosure of each candidate’s

spending– Limited the amount of hard money that could be

given to a candidate

Hard Money

• Donations given to a specific candidate for their campaign

Soft Money

• Donations given to political parties that are not designated for a particular candidate’s election campaign

Incumbent

• Politicians who currently hold the position being voted for

House of Representatives

• Elect the president if neither candidate wins a majority of electoral votes