4.Voting and Elections

There are many kinds of elections in the US.When an American votes on Election Day（Tue.after the 1st Mon.in Nov.）in the presidential election each leap year，he is at the same time voting in several other elections as well.He is also voting for a Representative or a Senator.At regular intervals he votes to choose the governor of his state，the mayor of his town or city and the holders of several local public offices.The conduct of elections for Federal，state and local offices，and of voting on state and local issues，is regulated by state law or，in some cities and counties，by local charters.An important exception is that the Constitution prescribes the basis of representation in Congress and the manner of electing the President.Before 1971the only state that gave 18-year-olds the right to vote was Georgia；all other states set the age at twenty-one.In 1971the 26th Amendment to the Constitution lowered the voting age to eighteen.

Voting in the United States is a two-step process：registering to vote at one time and then casting his or her ballot at another.Registration requirements make it difficult，if not impossible，for some people to vote.In order to register，an applicant must have a permanent address，which the homeless do not have.Some churches provide numbered cubbyholes as their addresses，but for the most part，the homeless are without a political voice.Thousands of college students who go away to school find themselves deprived of voting right when registrars claim they should register at their hometowns.While students can vote“back home”through an absentee ballot，they have no say in the political process in the town in which they live nine months out of the year.Even citizens who have had registered may not vote.Because elections are traditionally held on a Tuesday，many voters have to give up voting for their jobs.The voting percentage now is very low in the United States：In general older people with more education and high income tend to vote，while the youth，especially aged 18to 21，has the lowest voting percentage in the United States.