StudySpace: We the People ed. 6

Political Participation and Voting

The goal of this exercise is to improve your understanding of voter turnout and how a few votes greatly influenced the 2000 election. By reviewing just how close the Florida vote was you will see how just a few votes can affect the outcome.

Go to : http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/

Under the dropdown menu “General by Year,” chose the 2000 election. Scroll down the bottom of the page and click on the “what if” scenarios.

1. Under the first scenario, how many Florida voters would it have taken to give Al Gore the victory in Florida?
   
   

2. A change of how many votes in four states would have created an electoral tie between Bush and Gore? In which states?
   
   

3. Click on the voter turnout meter and scroll down to the bottom of the page. According to the chart, what was the national voter turnout as a proportion of the entire Voting Age Population (VAP)?
   
   

4. What was Florida’s voter turnout as a % of all Registered Voters (REG)? How many people voted in Florida in the 2000 election (voter turnout)?
   
   

5. What was your states turnout as a % of Registered Voters (REG)? Is your state’s turnout higher or lower than the national average?
   
   

6. According to the text, what are the reasons why people don’t vote? Are there any changes you would make that would encourage more people to vote?