Unit 5 AP GOV: Voter Participation
Party-line voting
process in which voters select candidates by their party affiliation
Smith v. Allwright
ruled that white primary was a violation of equal protection clause
Guinn v. United States
said the grandfather clause was unconstitutional
voting eligible population
the number of citizens eligible to vote. Must be 18 and non felon
voter turnout
the percentage of eligible citizens who actually vote in a given election
Suffrage
the right to vote
Prospective voting
voting based on the imagined future performance of a candidate
Retrospective voting
voting for a candidate because you like his or her past actions in office
Voting Rights Act of 1965
1965; invalidated the use of any test or device to deny the vote and authorized federal examiners to register voters in states that had disenfranchised blacks;
political efficacy
A citizen's belief that their vote matters and can influence government policies
Popular Sovereignty
A government in which the people rule by their own consent.
poll tax
A requirement that citizens pay a tax in order to register to vote
National Voter Registration Act of 1993
AKA "motor voter act", allowed voters to register to vote when they applied for driver's licenses
electorate
All of the people entitled to vote in a given election
Australian ballot
Ballots that must be printed by the state, show all qualifying candidates names, and be compelled in private
23rd Amendment (1961)
D.C. residents can vote for presidential elections
gender gap
Difference in political views between men and women
17th Amendment
Direct election of senators
19th Amendment (1920)
Gave women the right to vote
Help America Vote Act (HAVA)
Legislation passed in 2002 to aid states in upgrading voting equipment. Changed from punch cards to electronic or mail voting
26th Amendment (1971)
Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
Personality, integrity, competence and character of candidate
Other factors that can affect how a person vote is cast
24th Amendment (1964)
Prohibits federal and state governments from charging poll tax
15th Amendment (1870)
States cannot deny any person the right to vote because of race.
voter apathy
The lack of interest among the citizenry in participating in elections.
poltical participation
The many different ways that people take part in politics and government
rational choice voting
Voting based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest
absentee ballot
a ballot completed and typically mailed in advance of an election by a voter who is unable to be present at the polls.
party identification
a citizen's self-proclaimed preference for one party or the other
voting blocs
a group of voters that are strongly motivated by a specific common concern or group of concerns to the point that such specific concerns tend to dominate their voting patterns, causing them to vote together in elections
compulsory voting
a law that requires all citizens in a particular county to vote and pay a fine if they don't vote
provisional ballot
a vote that is cast but not counted until determination is made that the voter is properly registered
Grandfather Clause
allowed people to vote if their father or grandfather had voted before Reconstruction
voting-age population
citizens who are eligible to vote after reaching the minimum age requirement
