10.4: The Voting Process (Instructors notes)

1.      Democracies cannot succeed unless its elections are free, honest, and accurately reported.

               a.   Entry at the end: Did Russia tamper in the American voting process? If so, how?

2.      When do we vote?

             i.      First Tuesday following the first Monday in November (of each even-numbered year- as dictated by congress)

             ii.      Show video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WvoGlQ7zH8

• 3.      How do we vote?

  • Ballot: little ball

    • i.      Italian – ballotta – little ball. Process of dripping black or white balls into a box to indicate a choice. 139 BC Romans used paper ballots

    •   ii.      Black ball is the ball of “no”

    • iii.      Absentee voting – increase recently. Formalized in most states

  • 1.      56.5% in person

  • 2.      16.6% absentee

• b.      Australian Ballot: Provided @ public expense, lists all names of candidates, given @ polls, 1 per voter, secret.

  • i.      Bed-sheet ballot: ballots are too long. Includes clerks, coroners, surveyors. Critics say it affects voting

  • ii.      Ballot fatigue: tired of filling it out.

• 4.      How are votes counted?

• a.       Voting Machine:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsHBIh0U8_o

  • i.      Edison invented in 1892

  • ii.      Used in more populated areas

  • iii.      Speeds up process, minimize fraud

• b.      Electronic Voting Machines

  • i.      1960s

  • ii.      Touch screen or optical scanners (scan tron)

• c.       Manual counting

• 5.      Either:

a.       Read article on Russia

b.      Rank design of different ballots

Old Voting Machines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsHBIh0U8_o

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