Chapter 7 Elections Section 2 The Administration of Elections Government agencies oversee the election of 500000 officials during election years to fill seats in more than 89000 units of government ID: 220837
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Slide1
The Electoral Process
Chapter 7Slide2
Elections
Section 2Slide3
The Administration of ElectionsGovernment agencies oversee the election of 500,000 officials during election years to fill seats in more than 89,000 units of government.
Most election law is State not federal law.Federal Government does have power to set some election laws.Election day is the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November in every even-numbered year.
Requires the use of secret ballots
Help America Vote Act of 2002 – replace punch ballots, improve training of election officials, centralize registration systems, and provide for provisional voting.Slide4
State Administration of ElectionsBallots are the medium by which a voter registers a choice in an election.
State law deals with all other matters relating to national elections and with all of the details of State and local elections.Slide5
Election DayElection Day
Most states hold their elections for state offices on the same day Congress has set for national elections.Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even numbered years.Some states hold elections for local officials in odd-numbered years.Early Voting
Millions of Americans cast ballots before election day by participating in early or absentee voting.
Mail-in ballots; early polling places.
Over time states have broadened access to early voting.Slide6
Precincts and Polling PlacesA precinct is a voting district – it is the smallest geographic units for the conduct of elections.
A polling place is the place where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote.A precinct election board oversees the polling place in each precinct.Responsible for opening the polls, ensuring the availably of ballots or voting devices, verifying the eligibility of voters.Slide7
Casting the BallotEvery state requires a secret ballot
By 1900 most states were using the Australian BallotProvided at public expenseLists the names of all candidates in an electionIs given out only at the polls, one to each qualified voterCan be marked in secret .
Most states provide a sample ballot to voters
Some states provide an official voter’s pamphlet
Many ballots today are quite long – “bed sheet ballots” leading to uninformed choices and ballot fatigue.Slide8
Automated Voting
Many votes today are cast on electronic machines.Early machine counted ballots were punch-out ballotsThe “hanging chad,” the 2000 presidential election, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.Most ballots cast today are optical scan paper ballots or direct response electronic voting machines.
Vote-by-mail elections happen in many States today – mostly in local level elections.
So far online voting does not happen, but many people are pushing for online voting to become widespread.