Promote the Vote: Positioning Social Workers for Action

Preface
Acknowledgments
Contents
About the Author
Chapter 1: The Context for Voter Engagement
	The Social and Economic Context
		COVID-19
		Gun Violence
		Hate Crimes and Extremism
		Immigration
		Income Inequality
		Racial Justice
	The Political Context
		Declining Confidence in Government
		Conservative Courts
		Disinformation
		Political Polarization
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Chapter 2: Why Voting Matters
	Voting Is a Human Right
	Voting Is Consistent with Social Work Values
	Voting Builds Political Power
	Voting Benefits Individuals
	Voting Benefits Communities
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Chapter 3: How We Got Here: A Brief History of Voting Rights
	Early Voting in America
	Voting Rights for African Americans
		Poll Taxes and Literacy Tests
		The Civil Rights Movement and the Voting Rights Act
	The Women’s Suffrage Movement
	The Youth Vote
	Additional Policies to Expand Voting Rights
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Chapter 4: Voting Processes and Procedures
	The Roles of Elected Officials
		Social Workers in Elective Office
	Political Parties
		Our Power as Voters
	Registration and Voting
		Voter Registration
		Casting Your Vote
	Political Campaigns
		Targeting and Communication
		Securing Volunteers
		Fundraising and Budgeting
		The Life Cycle of a Campaign
	Presidential Elections
		Debates
		Primaries and Caucuses
		Nominating Conventions
		The Electoral College
	Congressional, State, and Local Elections
	Ballot Measures
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Chapter 5: Voting Patterns and Trends
	Voter Turnout
	Who Votes
		Income
		Age
		Education
		Race and Ethnicity
		Sex
		Marital Status
		Religion
		Military Service
	Why People Vote
		Sense of Duty
		Social Conformity
		Biology
		Interest and Confidence in Government
		Ability to Make a Difference
		Candidates and Issues
		The Costs of Voting
	How People Vote
		Political Party Affiliation
		Voter Characteristics
		Candidate Characteristics
		Positions on Issues
	Voting by Social Workers
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Chapter 6: Special Populations, Special Challenges
	People of Color
		African Americans
		Latinos
		Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI)
		Native Americans
	Naturalized Citizens and Linguistic Minorities
	People in Poverty
	People Experiencing Homelessness
	Citizens with Felony Convictions
	People with Disabilities
	LGBTQ+ Voters
	Survivors of Domestic Violence
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Chapter 7: Barriers to Voting
	Structural Barriers
	Intimidation and Suppression
		Voter Intimidation
		Dismantling the Voting Rights Act
		Voter ID
		Limiting Access to the Polls
		Purging Voter Rolls
		Strict Residency Requirements
	Gerrymandering
	Money in Politics
		PACs and Super PACs
		Campaign Finance Reform
		Dark Money
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Chapter 8: Expanding Opportunities to Vote
	Registration Initiatives
		Online Registration
		Same-Day and Election Day Registration
		Automatic Voter Registration
		Preregistration
		No Registration
	Voting Initiatives
		Lowering the Voting Age
		Voting by Incarcerated Citizens
		Voting by Noncitizens
		Compulsory Voting
		Voting by Mail
		Early In-Person Voting
		Making Election Day a Holiday
		Online Voting and Voting by App
		Out-of-Precinct Voting
		Ranked-Choice Voting
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Chapter 9: Toward a Better Future
	The Need for Change
	Legal and Ethical Considerations
	Strategies for Action
		Individuals
		Groups
		Organizations
		Communities
		Policy
	Developing a Culture of Voting
	Summary and Conclusion
	References
Appendices
	Appendix I: State Election Information Websites
	Appendix II: Helpful Resources
Index