This document summarizes key information about voting in the United States. To vote, one must be 18 years old, a US citizen, and a resident of their state. People can register to vote by mailing in a form, visiting their Board of Elections office, or signing up at other designated locations like the DMV. On election day, voters go to their designated polling place in their precinct, such as a school or community center, to cast their ballot. Ballots are counted locally and results are reported up to state and national levels. Factors that can influence voters include family, friends, media, and political party affiliation, though split-ticket voting is allowed in general elections.

1. Why vote?

2. What are the requirements to vote?
• Must be 18
• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Must be a resident of the state
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3. How do you register?
• Mail in form
• Go to Board of Elections and sign up
• Go to area doing register
• Go to the Department of Motor Vehicles
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4. Where do you go to vote?
• Go to the polling place in
your precinct
• Your precinct is your voting
district
• Examples of polling places
include: Schools, fire
stations, recreation centers
• Election Day is the first
Tuesday AFTER a Monday
in November

5. What happens to your vote?
1. You cast your ballot in secret at your polling place
2. Volunteers at the polling place count the ballots. This is
now done electronically usually.
3. The returns are then sent from the polling place to the
County Board of Elections.
4. The returns are then sent from the County Board of
Elections to the State Board of Elections.
5. Because states conduct elections they are only reported
nationally as a winner. The federal government does
nothing with election results EXCEPT to ensure NO
discrimination occurred.

6. Who influences your vote?
• Family and Friends
• Media
• Special Interest groups that
you AGREE with
• Political Party affiliation

7. Voter apathy?
• Don’t care
• Don’t believe you matter
• Don’t think that your vote
even counts
• Why was the 2008 election
different?
• Will it continue?

8. Do you have to vote with your political
Party?
• In a primary, YES…because you are nominating
your candidate and choosing your delegates
• In a general election, NO-
− Straight ticket- Vote for everyone in your political
party
− Split ticket- Vote for people of opposite parties