Unit 1.3 - Barriers to Voting

Electoral College

How we elect our president. The way the state votes is decided on how the majority of the individuals in the state vote

Popular Vote

Who was voted for the most

How many electors do we have?

538

How are electors determined?

The number is off of the amount of senators (2) and representatives the state has

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Prohibits racial discrimination in voting

Are there still barriers to voting?

Yes, for example voter id laws

What are the 5 myths of voting?

1. The U.S. Constitution guarantees all U.S. citizens the right to vote.

2. Presidential elections are the ones that really matter.

3. Voter I.D. fraud is a big problem in the United States.

4. College students have to vote where their parents live.

5. My vote doesn’t count.

What is gerrymandering?

Gerrymandering is the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group.

What is partisan gerrymandering?

Drawing lines to benefit a specific political party.

What is racial gerrymandering?

Manipulating districts to dilute the voting power of racial minorities.

What is incumbent gerrymandering?

Protecting current officeholders by creating "safe" districts.

What is cracking in gerrymandering?

Spreading opposing voters across many districts to dilute their power.

What is packing in gerrymandering?

Concentrating opposing voters into a single district to reduce their influence elsewhere

Consequences of Gerrymandering

• Skewed representation in legislatures.

• Reduced competition in elections.

• Lower voter turnout due to perceived lack of impact.

What did Shelby v Holder decide?

The requirement for the federal government to approve a new voting policy from jurisdictions with a racist past to be abolished. This will make it more difficult for voters to vote.

How did Shelby v. Holder impact voting rights protections in the United States?

It mostly impacted people of color and made it harder for them to vote. Jurisdictions with a racist past usually would need to get approval from the federal government if they wanted to change voting policies - the supreme court ruling abolished this and said it was outdated.

Explain the concepts of 'cracking' and 'packing' in the context of gerrymandering. Provide an example for each.

Packing is when voters opinions are put into one place to avoid the votes getting misused

Cracking is when opposing voters vote are spread out to dilute them and deinfluence

How does misinformation about election security impact voter confidence?

Misinformation about election security decreases voter turnout. Misinformation can be used to stop a certain political party from votin.

Discuss the balance between election security and voter access. How can policies protect both voter confidence and voting rights?

Both can be unbalanced and uncoordinated. The government could do more to protect both these things/

Gerrymandering has long been a strategy used by political parties to secure power. Should there be stricter laws regulating how district lines are drawn? Why or why not? Support your argument with historical examples

I believe there should be stricter laws considering how district laws are drawn because it could be a form of cheating and its unfair to the citizens since we are suppose to have the power to choose our President. For example, in 2011 Philadelphia drew lines to leave out black individuals and only added people who were conservative to influence the republican party.

How has the Voting Rights Act of 1965 shaped the right to vote in America? In what ways did Shelby v. Holder alter these protections?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 prevents voter discrimination which opened up voting to everyone but then Shelby v Holder made it easier to discriminate against people of color who want to vote.

Analyze the consequences of partisan and racial gerrymandering. How do these practices undermine democracy?

The consequences of Gerrymandering can cause an unbalanced skew in the legislative and lower voter turnout. This goes against democracy because the citizens are suppose to have the say in who the President should be not necessarily the people working in government. It seems like our votes don’t matter too much.

Compare the Electoral College and the popular vote. Which do you think better represents the will of the people? Explain your reasoning.

The popular vote represents the people better because whoever wins the popular vote is the most popular, meaning more people want them as President.

Describe how voting rights have expanded over time. Do you think there are still barriers to voting today? Why or why not?

At first only white men could vote, then white women then some people of color can vote and lastly the voting rights act was pasted which abolishes racial voting discrimination. I think there are still barriers today because certain people in political parties want to stop certain people from voting because they won’t help their party.