CHAPTER 5- Texas- Campaigns & Elections

Voter ID

a law that requires some form of identification in order to vote or receive a ballot for an election.

Provisional vote

offered to a person whose eligibility to vote has been challenged; the ballot is cast and will be counted if it is later found that the voter is indeed qualified

A registered voter appears at their designated polling place on Election Day but does not have one of the accepted forms of voter ID required by the state. Knowing it is the last day to vote, the voter still wants to cast their ballot. What must they do to cast their ballot?

Cast a provisional ballot

Political participation

The many different ways that people take part in politics and government

The requirements and the impact of those requirements have intentionally made it more difficult for ____________and ______________ to become serious competitors for public office in Texas

third-party, independent candidates

Campaigns spend millions of dollars on printing, transportation, media advertising, and other expenses, which explains why many have turned to which of the following to reduce the costs of campaigning?

Social media

While Texas primaries are technically considered closed primaries because individuals must declare their party when they arrive at a polling location, they essentially function as ____________ primaries because voters do not have to choose a party affiliation when they register to vote

open

Responsibility for conducting and regulating elections belongs to which level of government?

The states

Which of the following are the most likely causes for low voter turnout in Texas elections?

Texas holds its elections during nonpresidential election years.

decentralization

Degree to which decision-making authority is given to lower levels in an organization's hierarchy.

Because of Texas's tradition of _______________, there are a large number of elections and candidates.

decentralization

How do most statewide officials begin their political careers?

a run for a local office

What is the greatest expense for most campaigns?

media ads

Political leaders often opposed suffrage for women because they feared what?

Women would force their morals on the public

Many male political leaders argued that giving women the right to vote would lead to the

prohibition of alcohol and a focus on other issues men associated with female morality.

Texas primary elections are held on

the second Tuesday in march of an election year

Texas runoffs are held in

April

Primary elections are funded jointly by

political parties and the state

Primary elections are held in ________-numbered years.

even

Primary elections determine the party's nominee for the

general election

Will you be able to use your student ID in Texas for voting?

No, Only certain forms of government-issued ID are acceptable under the voter ID laws in Texas

Political party some responsibilities include

get out the vote drive, organizing phone banks

Candidate some responsibilities include

campaign strategy, raising money, running campaigns,

Internal Revenue service (IRS)

branch of the U.S. Treasury Department that collects taxes

Texas Ethics Commission (TEC)

Regulates the state's lobbying activities

Candidates for state and local office in Texas must file detailed financial reports every _________________

three months (quarterly)

Primary elections in which only registered members of a particular party can vote for the party's candidates are called

closed primaries

In contrast, primary elections in which any registered voter can cast a vote for either party's candidate (but not for both) are called

open primaries

What are the formal requirements for an independent candidate to get on the ballot in Texas?

Signatures on a petition must come from registered voters who did not participate in any political party primary election. Must obtain a number of signatures equal to one percent of the total votes in the last governor's race

Which type of election is required if a local school district wants to borrow money to build a new high school or repair elementary schools?

Special elections

Special elections

an election that is not held on a regularly scheduled basis; in Texas, a special election is called to fill a vacancy in office, to give approval for the state government to borrow money, or to ratify amendments to the Texas Constitution

Primary election

an election held to choose candidates for office

General election

election in which voters decide which candidates will actually fill elective public offices

School board election

local election where voters choose members to serve on the school board, which is the governing body of a school district.

plurality vote

vote in which the winner needs to win more votes than any other candidate

majority vote

More than half of votes cast- over 50% threshold

Contest that do not have a winner with over 50% vote, they must go to what type of election?

run-off election

General elections are held in

November of even numbered years, along with national elections

Fiscal responsibility

making good decisions about money