Week 8 Elections & Voting.pptx for manaement students in uni

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1. State and Local Government POLS 2312 / Spring 2025 Week 8

2. Elections Decentralized Centralized Elections are central to a representative democracy T he US has a decentralized election adm i nistration system . Positives: Experimentation and innovation, and nearly impossible to rig an election at the national level Negatives: Possible inconsistencies, mismanagement, and varied voting experiences. Elections are usually administered at the county level, though in some New England and Midwestern states, this duty falls to cities or townships. 34 States: Election administration is unified within a single individual or entity. 26 States- Single Individuals like a county clerk 8 States- Bipartisan Board or Commission at the state or local level 16 States: Responsibility for administering elections is shared between two or more entities.

3. Election Cycles 2029 Primaries 2027 Primaries 2025 Primaries

4. Types of Elections Primary Elections Primary System : The electoral mechanism for selecting party nominees to compete in the general election. Fully Closed Primary (9) : A primary in which only voters registered in the party are allowed to participate. Partially Closed Primary (7) : A primary in which unaffiliated voters and registered party voters can participate. Partially Open Primary (6) : A primary in which voters must publicly declare their voting choice in order to vote in that party’s primary. Open to Unaffiliated Voters (9) : A primary in which unaffiliated voters can vote in whichever primary they want, but voters registered with a party cannot vote in another party’s primary. Fully Open Primary (15) : A primary in which all voters choose, in the privacy of the voting booth, which primary they participate in. More open More closed

5. Types of Elections Candidate A Candidate B Candidate C Candidate D Candidate E 60% 30% 8% 2% 0% Primary Elections Hypothetical 1 Candidate A Candidate B Candidate C Candidate D Candidate E 38% 35% 25% 1% 1% Hypothetical 2 Candidate A goes to the General Election Runoff

6. Runoff Election : A second election pitting the top two vote-getters from a first election in which no candidate received a majority of the votes cast. Types of Elections Runoff Elections Why does every state not have run off elections? State laws and policies Political Considerations Voter Participation Cost and Logistics Historical Precedents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 22% 15% 62% 1 2 60% 40%

7. Types of Elections Nonpartisan Elections Nonpartisan Elections : An election without party labels Judges and most Local Positions In the absence of political parties… Candidates are forced to do all the things a party does on their own Slating Groups are formed Voter Turnout is depressed Recall Elections Recall : A procedure that allows citizens to vote elected officials out of office before their terms have expired. 19 states allow for recalls of statewide elected officials. 75% are at the local level Impeachment vs. Recalls What about special elections?

8. Ballots Ballot : Either in paper form or electronic, the mechanism for voters to show their vote preferences. Paper Electronic Absentee Ballots may contain: Initiatives Constitutional Amendments or proposed laws placed on the ballot by citizen petition Referendums Voting on an aspect of legislative activities Candidates for Office! People running for specific “seats” in elected office

9. State-Wide Politicians Governor (55/56) Leader of the Executive Branch and Chief Executive of the State Lieutenant Governor (47/56) Fills in for the governor in their absence Attorney General(46/56) Acts as the top legal officer in the state. They help with consumer complaints, enforce laws, and more. Treasurer (36/56) Chief custodian of each state’s treasury and as the state’s head banker. Secretary of State (35/56) Chief administrative officer and the primary custodian of state records and elections. Auditor (34/56) Fiscal officers who serve as evaluators, controllers, bookkeepers, or inspectors general of public funds. 56 = 50 States + District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, and US Virgin Islands

10. State-Wide Politicians Superintendent of Public Instruction (13/56) Responsible for public education in the states Agriculture Commissioner (12/56) Regulates the animal industry, food safety, and meat inspection and is in charge of the state’s agriculture department. Land Commissioner (5/56) Manage, maintain, and protect state lands. Labor Commissioner (4/56) Oversees the administration of state laws relating to labor and the workforce. Mine Inspector (1/56) Oversees the safety and regulation of active and inactive mines in Arizona. Tax Commissioner (1/56) Responsible for licensing and taxing alcoholic beverage sellers and suppliers in North Dakota.

11. Local-Level Politicians County Executive Mayor Chief of Police County Sheriff City Attorney City Council Members County Commissioners

12. What kind of election is it… …If the winner gets the position they’re running for? …If the winner gets to move on to a general election as their party’s candidate? If it is held at the mid-point of a presidential term, every four years? Is it a primary election or general election? General Election Primary Election Midterm Election General Election

13. What kind of election is it… …if all candidates for an office are listed on the ballot without party labels? …If the intent is to remove a politician from office before their term is done? …If no candidate receives the majority of the vote, so the top candidates face off again? Nonpartisan Election Recall Election Runoff Election

14. Civic Participation Civic Participation : The involvement of individual constituents or communities in local, state, and national government. Active Participation Vote Organize or attend demonstrations or protests Contact Current Officials (phone, mail, in-person) Try to mobilize or educate other voters Block walking, postcard writing, phone banking, etc. Run for Office Donate money to political causes Join community interest groups Vote with your feet - Move Passive Participation Ignore it and do nothing The interests of the active become translated into policy and those who are inactive are ignored because they don’t vote.

15. Non-Participation Individuals Income Level : Individuals with lower levels of income participate less Education Level : Individuals with lower education levels participate less Race : Black voters participate less than white voters Gender : Women participate less than men Population of Community : City dwellers participate less than small town residents Age : Younger voters participate less All Groups : Midterms and Non-Presidential Elections Reason % of Non Voters Did not like candidates or campaign issues 24.8 Not interested 15.4 Too busy, conflicting schedule 14.3 Illness or disability 11.7 Out of Town on Election Day 7.9 Registration Problems 4.4 Forgot 3.9 Transportation Problems 2.6 Inconvenient Polling Place 2.1 Other 11.1

16. Non-Participation Institutional Factors Voter Registration Requirements Voter ID Laws Voting Hours & Accessibility Electoral Competition and Districting Voting Methods Complicated Ballots and Voting Procedures Lack of Information and Voter Education Language Barriers Political Apathy and Disillusionment

17. Voter Turnout Voter Turn Out : The percentage of eligible voters who have taken part in the election. Voting Age Population (VAP): Adults 18 years of age and over Voter registration stands at 76% of the voting-age population Voting Eligible Population (VEP): The voting-age population excluding those who are noncitizens, and depending on a state’s law, convicted felons, or the mentally incapacitated. General w President General - Midterm Primary 64% (2020) 46% (2022) 20%

18. Voter Turn Out What Makes Voters Vote? General Election with a President on the Ballot A large amount of coverage, attention, party mobilization, and voter education translates into higher voter turnout. Close Elections The more competitive the race, the higher the turnout because one vote can make a difference. Party Competition & Ideology Competitive political parties that need voter turnout are more active and see higher levels of participation. Moralistic political cultures typically experience higher voter turnout than do states with traditional political cultures. Social Construction of Target Populations