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When and what gave women get the right to vote?
19th amendment, in 1920
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Carrington v Rash decision did what in TX?
invalidated a TX law that prohibited any member of the Armed Forces of the US the right to vote
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What is the voting eligibility today in TX?
- -18 yrs of age or older
- -a US citizen
- -not determined mentally incompetent by court
- -not a convincted felon unless sentence completed or pardoned
- -be a resident of the county in which application for registration is made
- -register at least 30 days prior to the election
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informed citizen participation?
- -Kaufman county example: 2 people showed up at election and approved a $340 million bond proposal
- -citizens who did not vote were outraged but had no one to blame but themselves
- -successful democracy depends on informed citizen participation from ALL OF US!
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How many do not vote?
- Presidential election:
- 1980- 74,000,000 didn't vote
- 1988- 90,000,000 didn't vote
- -lowest since 1924 election of calvin coolidge... has been much lower: 1996- 49% voter turnout
- -2000- over 100,000,000
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TX voter turnout:
- 12.2% 9/ 03
- 9% 2001... 4.7% in Tarrant County and 7% statewide 1999
- 6.9% state voter turnout 1997
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What rank was the U.S. in the percentage of voting age citizens who actually cast a ballot in their country's elections in 2007?
139th out of 172 nations
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Why do so many not vote?
- - too many are poorly educated regarding why participation is so important.
- - too many feel alienated b/c they believe gov't does not address their concerns
- - too many are discouraged from participation due to structural obstacles.
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Voter registration reforms: poor turnout
- Mail in voter registration:
- - TX and some other states do this
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voter registration reforms: high turnout
- -election day registration: Maine, Minnesota, Winsconsin & Oregon (only vote by mail)
- -Universal registration: Idaho
- -no registration at all: North Dakota
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TX election primaries
- A. party screens its candidates & selects its nominees
- B. "Dual primaries" in TX conducted from 7AM-7PM
- 1st primary held 1st tuesday in March of even years- majority wins or 2 highest vote earners advance to run-off => 2nd primary
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Elections
- -Majority must win to avoid runoff in primary-win by plurality in general election
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TX primary run-off election:
- - 2nd primary held 1st Tuesday in April of even years.- 2 candidates in race; majority win.
- - Winners advance to November general election to compete against nominees of all other political parties
- -win by majority or if no majority winner then by plurality
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Voter forgot registration? What forms of ID are accepted at poll?
- the "Help America vote Act 2002" allows:
- - DL or a personal ID issued by DPS or a similar doc from another state
- - ID w/ photo, birth certificate, U.S. citizenship papers, a passport
- - official mail addressed to the person by name from a gov't agency
- - current copy of a utility bill, bank statement, a gov't check, a paycheck or other governmental doc that shows the name and address of the voter
- - any other form of ID prescribed by the Secretary of State
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The "Provisional Ballot": What happens when voter doesn't bring proper registration card & isn't on voter roll?
- 1. Voter shows ID, signs affidavit verifying info. Put in envelope.
- 2. Voter casts ballot, placed in separate envelope. Provisional ballot & affidavit placed in larger envelope.
- 3. voter registrar collects provisional ballots & verifies whether came from eligible voters.
- 4. eligible provisional ballots forwarded to ballot board & counted.
- 5. Registrar & ballot board authenticate whithin one week.
- 6. Counties must provide people whose votes not counted an explanation why.
- 7. Canvassing of the election done no earlier than 8th day and no later than the 11th day after Election Day.
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Primary Characteristics:
- A. No party purity law in TX like in other states
- B. Crossover voting: good motive... voter seeks best candidate regardless of party
- C. raiding voting: Darth vader motive... voter seeks worst candidate easiest for home party candidate to beat!
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closed and open primary:
- open- all parties' candidates are in one ballot
- -closed- voting limited to party membership only
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