CHAPTER 10B “RUNNING IN AN ELECTION”

1. CHAPTER 10B “RUNNING IN AN ELECTION”

2. THE RIGHT TO VOTE 1. People earn the right to vote at age 18. A. State Qualifications 1. Each state decides qualifications for voting in state elections. a. Must follow the U. S. Constitution. B. Registering to Vote 1. Simply signing up to vote. 2. Usually only has to be done once.

3. C. Women Win the Right to Vote 1. Early American traditions gave women no rights. a. List three rights women have today that they didn’t have before the Civil War. 2. During the early 1800’s social conditions for women began to change. 3. Women’s Rights Movement was launched in 1848.

4. 4. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were the two prominent women involved in the movement. 5. In 1869 the National Woman Suffrage Assosication was formed by Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. 6. Susan B. Anthony was arrested in 1872 when she tried to vote in the Presidential election. a. She was found guilty.

5. 7. In June, 1919 the 19th Amendment passed Congress by a narrow margin giving women the right to vote.

6. D. Primary Elections (First) 1. Are usually held in the spring. 2. Some states hold state conventions. 3. Are very much like regular elections. 4. Election is among candidates within the same party. 5. Independents usually do not have a primary. 6. Usually requires a plurality of votes.

7. 7. Some states still require a majority. a. Runoff primary - if no candidate receives a majority then the two candidates who have won the highest number of votes run again. 8. Two types of primaries: a. Open - Can vote for any candidate. b. Closed - Only party members can vote.

8. E. Nominations by Conventions 1. Some states allow their candidate for president to be chosen by delegates. F. Independent Candidates 1. Can be put on the ballot if enough people sign a petition. 2. Grassroots - support from many individuals at the local level rather from national parties and other large organizations. 3. Can also be a write-in candidate.

9. G. General Elections 1. Presidential elections take place the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November every four years. (even numbered) 2. Congressional elections take place the same day but are every two or six years. a. Depends if your running for house or Senate. 3. Secret Ballot - voting on paper so a person can not see how you voted.

10. H. Voting Today 1. Most places use a voting machine. (Not Greenbush) 2. Straight Ticket - voting for all candidates of one party. 3. Split Ticket - voting for candidates of more than 1 party. 4. Most states require employers to give employees time off to vote.

11. NOMINATING AND ELECTING OUR LEADERS A. Convention Delegates 1. Are usually chosen in presidential primaries. 2. Both parties use complicated formulas in determining how many delegates they will have at the primary.

12. B. National Nominating Conventions 1. Party Platform (list of statements on certain issues) is adopted. a. Plank - individual part of a platform. 2. Delegates are seated by state. 3. First convention was held in 1831 4. Most conventions are held in areas of central geographical location.

13. C. Presidential Candidates 1. Most important item of business at a national convention is choosing the party’s candidate for President. 2. Majority of votes is needed from state delegates. a. Chairperson of each state delegation announces how the state is voting. (roll call) 3. Usually the leading candidate receives the majority of votes on the first call.

14. 4. Favorite Son or Daughter - when delegates nominate a candidate who is from their state and is popular. (Do it to just show their support.) 5. Delegates usually favor whomever the presidential candidate chooses as vice president. a. Balance the Ticket - Vice President is chosen who will likely appeal to voters who otherwise might not vote for the presidential candidate.

15. b. Sarah Palin was the last woman to run for Vice-President. c. There has never been a women Vice- President. D. The Election Campaign 1. Media is most widely used source of campaigning. 2. After conventions candidates may take a little break. 3. Campaign moves into high gear after labor day until the election.

16. 4. Campaign Managers - advise candidates which issues to speak out on as well as which issues to avoid. a. They take complete control of a candidates election campaign. E. National Debates 1. Many years ago, presidential candidates did not take an active role in their campaign.

17. 2. First debate was held between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas. (Senate) a. Central idea was slavery into U.S. territories. b. Douglas believed the U.S. could be divided into free and slave states. c. Douglas won reelection.

18. 3. Lincoln gained nation wide exposure for his views. 4. First aired Presidential debate involved Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. a. Kennedy won a tight election. 5. Debates usually involve the following: a. Opening statements b. Series of questions from reporters c. Closing statements

19. 6. Candidates rarely can question each other but can respond to criticism of the other candidate.

20. F. Election Day 1. Many party workers call people to see how they vote. a. Registration Committee - helps get voters registered so that they will be eligible to vote.

21. b. Poll Committee - members who stay at polls, (voting places) to see who has voted. 2. Because of time differences the first returns come from the east. a. Polls in the east are closed before those in the west. IN YOUR SMALL GROUPS DISCUSS WHAT PROBLEMS THIS MAY CAUSE (4 MIN)

22. THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

23. A. The Electoral College 1. Popular Vote - Votes cast by the people. a. Minority President - President who does not receive a majority of the popular vote. - George W. Bush was the most recent. (2000)

24. 2. Citizen's casting a vote are voting for a special kind of representative who promises to vote for that candidate. (elector) a. Electoral College - Special Representative from each state who choose the President.

25. 3. States with greater population have more electors. 4. States have the same number of electors as they have members in Congress. 5. There are 538 total electoral votes. 6. Each elector gathers in their state capital on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December to cast their vote.

26. 7. If no candidate gets a majority of the electoral votes the three candidates with the highest number are sent to the House of Representatives who chooses the President. a. Each state has only one vote. b. Only in 1800 and 1824 has the House chosen the President. c. Vice-President is chosen by the Senate.

27. B. History of the Electoral College 1. Originally electors voted for two candidates. a. Highest vote getter would be the President. b. Second highest vote getter would be the Vice-President.

28. c. 25th Amendment changed this by making it possible for each political party to nominate one candidate for President and one for Vice Pres.

29. C. A Compromise Plan 1. Two reason for making the plan of electing the President complicated. a. Gave states an important role in choosing President. b. Compromise between large and small states. - electoral college would shorten the list. -states were given equal power in house

30. 2. Plan did not work as expected because a candidate usually does get a majority of votes. D. Other Changes in the Presidential Election System 1. Political parties nominate electors. 2. Most recent case of elector not voting for candidate was when an elector pledged to Al Gore did not vote or abstained. 3. States set rules for choosing electors.

31. E. “Winner Take All” Method of Choosing 1. A Presidential candidate gets ALL electoral votes if he/she receives a majority of the popular vote. IN YOUR SMALL GROUPS DISCUSS IF YOU WOULD CHANGE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM. IF SO HOW? IF NOT, WHY? 2. 2000 Al Gore received a majority of the popular vote but George W. Bush won the election with a majority of the electoral vote.

32. F. Other Plans 1. Direct election by the people. 2. Abolish winner take all method. a. Proportional Plan - Candidate gets a percentage of electoral votes based on the percentage of popular votes he/she gets. G. Why Might States Oppose Abolishing the Electoral College? 1. They may have an even smaller percentage of popular vote.

33. H. Other Arguments in Favor of the Electoral College. 1. Proportional system could create more deadlocks and force elections into the House of Representatives. 2. Discourages third parties a. Most third parties are too small to win a majority of the popular vote.

34. POSSIBLE ASSIGNMENTS 1. Democratic convention video. 2. Electoral college map 3. Case Studies (pg. 53, 54) 4. Enrichment (pg. 10) 5. Write a one page paper on 1 of the political parties. 6. Develop a party platform 7. Hold a mock-nominating convention 8. Media and the President Video 9. Presidential T.V. Commercial 10. Presidential Debate 8. Section Review (pg. 198, 203) 9. Building your portfolio (pg. 205) 10. American government wks. (pg. 26, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 41) EXTRA CREDIT (5 pts.) 1. Voc Workshop, Reviewing Main Ideas, Thinking Critically