Unit 3: Voters and Voting Behavior

Suffrage

the right to vote

Franchise

the right to vote

disenfranchise

deprive of voting rights

poll tax

A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote

literacy test

A test given to persons to prove they can read and write before being allowed to register to vote

15th Amendment

Citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color , or precious condition of servitude

19th Amendment (1919)

Gave women the right to vote

23rd Amendment

Gives Washington DC electoral college votes as if it were a state (DC still has no representation in Congress)

24th Amendment

Abolishes poll taxes

26th Amendment

Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18

plurality rule

a type of electoral system in which victory goes to the individual who gets the most votes in an election, but not necessarily a majority of the votes cast

majority rule

Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority (>50%)

alien

a citizen of another country; foreign

registration

a procedure of voter identification intended to prevent fraudulent voting

residence

a home; a place where a person settles to live

Groups denied voting rights

1. Mentally Incompetent
2. Criminals (Felony)
3. Dishonorable Discharge from Military (some states)

mid-term election

an election that takes place in the middle of a presidential term

ballot fatigue

the phenomenon by which voters cast fewer votes for offices listed toward the bottom of the ballot

cannot voters

People who can't vote

Non-voters

People who don't vote

political efficacy

The belief that one's political participation really matters - that one's vote can actually make a difference

time zone fallout

Discourages people from voting because media projects a winner before they have a chance to vote.

majority

more than half

minority

less than half

Supremist

one who believes in the supremacy of one race, sex, or social group

Gerrymandering

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of benefiting the party in power.

Absentee Ballot

a ballot that is cast while absent

Polling Place

a place where voters go to cast their votes in an election

Sample Ballot

A practice ballot mailed early to voters

DRE Voting

Direct Response Electronic -Efficient, but not effective