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ELECTIONS & VOTING

Political Science Chapter 17. ELECTIONS & VOTING. ELECTION CAMPAIGNS. ELECTING THE PRESIDENT Candidates begin organizing their campaigns many month before an election Primary elections in the Spring help narrow the field of candidates

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ELECTIONS & VOTING

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  1. Political Science Chapter 17 ELECTIONS & VOTING

  2. ELECTION CAMPAIGNS ELECTING THE PRESIDENT Candidates begin organizing their campaigns many month before an election Primary elections in the Spring help narrow the field of candidates Presidential Election: 1st Tuesday after 1st Monday in November

  3. ELECTORAL VOTES AND THE STATES A candidate must win 270 of 538 electoral votes (total = Senators and Representatives from each state; plus 3 from Washington, DC) Particular attention is paid to states with large populations

  4. CAMPAIGNING CAMPAIGN STRATEGY Planning to capture key states Theme, slogan, issue, strategy CAMPAIGN ORGANIZATION Strong organization essential – campaign manager head the organization ADVERTISING: television, radio, internet

  5. FINANCING CAMPAIGNS Running for political office VERY EXPENSIVE! 2004 elections: $3.9 billion spent on presidential and congressional campaigns Regulating Campaign Financing: heavy regulations – FEC (Federal election Commission) Public Funding & Private Funding

  6. EXPANDING VOTING RIGHTS Voting is not a privilege, it is a RIGHT, guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution SUFFRAGE = “right to vote” Early limitations on voting: Literacy test; poll tax Blacks: 15th Amendment Women: 19th Amendment 18 year olds: 26th Amendment

  7. VOTER’S HANDBOOK Note pages 486-491, and consider these topics: Qualifications to Vote Registering to Vote Voting Procedures Special Circumstances

  8. INFLUENCES ON VOTERS PERSONAL BACKGROUND OF VOTERS Age Other background influences: education, religion, race or ethnic background Cross-pressured voter: one caught between conflicting elements in his or her own life

  9. LOYALTY TO POLITICAL PARTIES STRONG vs. WEAK PARTY VOTERS split ticket straight-party ticket INDEPENDENT VOTERS this number has increased over the years

  10. ISSUES IN ELECTION CAMPAIGNS Many voters are not well-informed – Still, today’s voters are better informed -Television -Better education -Issues have greater impact on personal lives Ex. Issues: 1980 election

  11. CANDIDATE’S IMAGE Important: ways voters perceive issues Propaganda: use of ideas, information, perceptions, even rumors to influence public opinion Note: Propaganda Techniques (p. 496)

  12. VOTERS REGULAR VOTERSregular voters have positive attitudes toward government and citizenship NON-VOTERS Some do not vote: not meeting requirements

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