Chapter 6 Voters and Voter Behavior Section 2: Voter Qualifications

1. Chapter 6 Voters and Voter Behavior Section 2: Voter Qualifications

2. Lesson Objectives: By the end of this lesson you will be able to: Identify the universal qualifications for voting in the United States. Explain the other requirements that States use or have used as voting qualifications.

3. Universal Requirements Today, every state requires that any person who wants to vote must be able to satisfy qualifications based on three factors: Citizenship Residence Age Citizenship Aliens (foreign born residents who have not yet become citizens) are generally denied the right to vote in this country. Still, nothing in the Constitution says that aliens cannot vote, and any State could allow them to do so if it chose.

4. Residence In order to vote in this country today, one must be a legal resident of the State in which he or she wishes to cast a ballot. In many States, a person must have lived in the State for at least a certain period of tie before he or she can vote. Reasons for residency requirements: To keep a political machine from bringing in enough outsiders to affect the outcome of an election. To allow new voters time to become familiar with the candidates and issues in an upcoming election. For many years States required people to live in their state for up to one full year before they were allowed to declare residency. Today, the requirements are much shorter because of the Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970. Congress banned any requirement of longer than 30 days for voting in presidential elections.

5. Most States prohibit transients (people who plan to live in a State for only a short time) from gaining legal residence. For example, a college student usually cannot vote in a state where he or she is only staying in during their college years. Age The 26th Amendment prohibits States from setting the minimum age for voting in any election at more than 18. States are allowed to set the voting age at less than 18 if they choose to do so. Before the 26th Amendment was passed, the minimum voting age was 21. Registration Registration is the procedure of voter identification. This is required by anyone who chooses to vote in order to prevent voter fraud. Voter registration gives election officials a list of qualified voters

6. Registration Registration is the procedure of voter identification. This is required by anyone who chooses to vote in order to prevent voter fraud. Voter registration gives election officials a list of qualified voters. 49 states (all except North Dakota) require all voters to be registered before they are allowed to cast a ballot. Most States require you to register at least 20-30 days before an election. Registration Information: *Name *Age *Place of birth *Present address *Length of residence

7. You only have to register to vote once unless you move out of State. Ways to lose registration: *Move out of State *Death *Convicted of a felony *Committed to a mental institution Every two to four years, election officials review the list of registered voters and remove people who no longer qualify to vote from the list. This process is called, purging. The United States is the only democratic country where people are allowed to decide whether or not they register to vote. In all other democratic counties everyone is required by law to register.

8. Motor Voter Law (1995): *Allows all eligible citizens to register to vote when they apply for or renew a driver’s license. *Allows you to register to vote by mail. *Registration forms available by at libraries, post offices, and recreation centers. In the year 2000, 8 million people used the Motor Voter Law to register to vote. Literacy and Tax Payment Literacy- Today, no State has any literacy (ability to read/write) requirements in order to qualify to vote. Historically these requirements were used to prevent African Americans who were denied an education from being able to vote (pg 162).

9. Tax Payment- Property ownership was once a very common voter qualification. For many years many States required the payment of a special tax called a poll tax in order to vote. Like literacy tests, this requirement was also used to keep African Americans who were recently freed from slavery and were denied jobs from voting. The 24th Amendment which was ratified in 1964 outlawed the poll tax or any other tax as a condition for voting in any federal election. Persons Denied the Right to Vote *People in mental institutions *People convicted of high level felonies *People dishonorably discharged from the armed forces