voting and interest groups

registration

Allows for the identification of voters, with the intent of preventing voter fraud

grandfather clause

Being required to prove the American citizenship of your father; targeted African Americans

off year elections

Do not involve the President, but other offices including the House of Representatives and some Senators

white primaries

Excluding African Americans from voting and running for office; has been ruled unconstitutional

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Law that helped end some of the discrimination occurring at the polls in regards to voting

split ticket voting

Not limiting the voter from selecting members of different parties

straight ticket voting

Only selecting members of a certain party when voting

independents

People who are not affiliated with a political party

lobbying

Process by which organized interest groups attempt to affect the decisions & actions of public officials

poll tax

Requiring someone to pay to vote

literacy test

The requirement to read in order to have the opportunity to vote

suffrage

The right to vote

cannot voters

Those individuals who are disqualified from voting based on any of a number of factors

transients

Those people who are not residents of the place they are, or are currently in the process of moving

gerrymandering

When lawmakers decide to redraw the voting districts to benefit their political party

political efficacy

When someone has no interest in politics

interest groups

collection of people who share views on public matters and work to shape policies to their benefit

grassroots

convincing people to apply pressure to politicians at a very basic level