Elections and Political Participation Vocabulary
19th Amendment (1920)
Gave women the right to vote
26th Amendment
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
primary election
Nominating election held to choose party candidates who will run in the general election
Election Day
Occur every two years, on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Closed Primary
A primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote
General Election
An election held to choose which candidate will hold office...candidates are members of opposing political parties.
What is the most important factor in predicting whether an individual votes?
Education Level
Open primary
Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote.
What laws have been passed to increase registration and voting in the United States?
Same-Day Registration Motor Voter Absentee Voting (includes Early Voting) Voting by Mail (Oregon)
15th Amendment (1870)
States cannot deny any person the right to vote because of race.
National Convention
The meeting of party delegates every four years to choose a candidate for president/vice president and write the party's platform.
same-day registration
people may register and vote on the same day as an election
party-line voting
process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation
rational choice voting
someone voting in their best interest, supporting the candidate whose platform will give them the most favorable outcomes.
Incumbent
the current officeholder, running for reelection
What are some reasons for low voter turnout in the United States?
Tuesday Voting, 2 Step Process (Registration, Voting)
What is the single-most important political act for most Americans?
Voting
Straight Ticket
Voting for candidates who are all of the same party
Split Ticket
a ballot on which a voter selects candidates from more than one political party
early voting
a procedure that allows voters to cast ballots during the two-week period before the regularly scheduled election date