Vocab
All forms of involvement citizens can have that are related to governance.
Political participation.
What types of political participation do you think are most effective?
Variety of answers, personal opinions.
Why was annual registration a problem for Texas voters?
Voter registration can be cumbersome, discouraging them from doing it. It can also appear fearful to minorities.
Manuel is currently serving parole and cannot vote. His grandfather, Abe, says he doesn't like any of the candidates and says Manuel can vote using his grandfather's identity. Manuel does so.
Is this an example of accidental or intentional voter fraud?
Intentional.
Who is your governor?
Greg Abbott.
Electoral fraud.
The number of registered voters is increasing for minorities and young people. How might increased participation by these groups influence the government?
Variety of answers:
- Government may swing either direction politically. - Politicians may change to account for these voting bodies.
- New political parties may form.
To combat low voter turnout, this voting option could allow voters to vote early, because early is better than not at all.
Absentee voting OR mail-in voting.
During a local election in Texas, a campaign volunteer collects dozens of mail-in ballots from elderly voters at a nursing home. The volunteer offers to turn in the elderly voters' mail for them. Is there something wrong here? Why?
Yes.
Who is San Antonio's mayor?
Gina Ortiz-Jones
Influence on government based on some combination of numbers of people, wealth, social norms, ideas, force, violence, or government actions.
Political power.
A. Why are socioeconomic factors a voting impediment?
B. How can citizens reduce these impediments by increase civic knowledge in diverse communties?
- Lower income - less likely to vote, less likely to contribute/donate to campaigns. Sometimes, less educated.
- See page 337 of textbook, "Souls to the Polls". Mobilization and awareness.
Why might voter turnout drop significantly in non-presidential elections?
Insignificance, apathy, people are either too busy or don't care, or other reasons.
Texas has 2 million adults.
300,000 are not U.S. citizens
120,000 are convicted felons who currently cannot vote
80,000 are citizens living overseas but still eligible to vote
Calculate the VAP (Voting Age Pop) and VEP (Voting Eligible Pop)
VAP = 2 mil
VEP = 1.660 mil
How many senators are there and who are they?
John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
Factors such as income, education, race, and ethnicity that affect voter turnout.
Socioeconomic status.
See how many voter restrictions of Texas' history you can name in 60 seconds. Each one is worth 100 points. Cap 400 points.
Modern - Fear, political attitudes, apathy, social/economic factors.
Past - Amendments, white primary, poll tax, literacy test, grandfather clause, fear, Jim Crow Laws.
True or False: The political culture of Texas discourages voting. If so, which type (Individualistic, traditionalistic, or moralistic)? If not, describe why your answer is no. Argue your claim to the group.
Individualistic -> Responsibility to learn about voting and candidates falls on the individual. In other words, the government does not make laws that require people to be educated voters.
Traditionalistic -> Encourages elites to stay at the top, thus promotes ideas such as gerrymandering and other political strategies.
Maria just moved to Texas three weeks before an election. She goes to the polling place on Election Day but is told she cannot vote because she never registered. What is preventing Maria from voting?
30-day voter registration rule.
There was recently a Texas Senator primary. Who were the Democrat candidates, who were the Republican candidates, and what was the outcome?
John Cornyn v Ken Paxton, runoff.
James Talarico W over Jasmine Crockett.
Talarico will face the runner of Cornyn v Paxton.