1. In the late 1700's the only people who had the right to vote were white male property owners. In all reality that was about 1 in every 15 white men. Now over 2 million people over the age of 18 have the right to vote and that number is completely due to the extension of suffrage. We got rid of religious qualifications, stopped denying males the right to vote based on color, allowed women to vote, stopped racial discrimination, and made the legal voting age 18.

2. In all of forty-nine states in the US, voter registrations is required to vote. The only state that has an exception to this law is North Dakota. Voter reigstration is used to prevent fraudulent voting. Officials then have a list of people who are qualified to vote in the elections. It is also helpful in telling who is eligible in the close primaries.

3. This section had alot to do with civil rights. In 1870, the 15th amendment was adopted protecting the voting rights of all adult males regardless of their race. In 1913, the adoption of the 17th amendment allowed the people to decide the senaters instead of the State legislatures. The 19th ammendment gave women the right to vote in 1920 and in 1964 the 24th ammendment banned poll tax as a voting requirement. The 26th ammendment gave 18 year-olds the right to vote in 1971.

4. While voter turnout hasn't been declining since the late 1960's, it isn't very high. The percentage of voter turnout for the presidential election hasn't been above 60% since 1968. It's been close to roughly 50% every year since then. These percentages are even lower for Representative elections. They've been only about 45% turnout each year.

5. Voter apathy is people believing that they don't need to vote, their vote doesn't count or they don't make a difference. A large portion of the people that don't vote are under educated, but some of them aren't. There is no reason for people being under educated about politics. It could be enstilled more in the school system, and parents should talk to their kids about it at home. If poiticians addressed more of the concerns of the electorate, I think more people would be likely to vote.

6. You must be a U.S. citizen for atleast a couple months in most states. You also have to be a resident of the state you vote in. Also, according to the 26th Ammendment, adopted in 1971, you must be only 18 years of age to vote.

In early years when the two major political parties were Federalists (Republicans) and Anti-Federalists (Democrats) I probably would've had a hard time choosing. I can relate with the Democrats not wanting a stron central government after having almost no say under a ruthless king, but i don't believe in alot of the ideals they have like slavery.
During the Republican era, I would side with the Republicans not just because they were prominent in government but because of their ideals. They believed in "free labor, free land, free men" which meant that they were against slavery and believed in free artisanship. Also, they were against plantations where only the rich could buy land and had slaves work it for them.
Now I'm a registered Republican probably because my parents and granparents are, but its also because i bleive more often in their ideals.

Then give your view on the national results and the local results.  Both the candidates and the initiative measures.
"President Obama admitted Wednesday that his party got hit hard." and he has to work in a bipartisan fashion with the incoming Republicans. The Republicans responded by saying that the president shouldn't expect to have things done his way anymore. While Obama says he is ready to compromise, the Republicans don't seem so willing.

Republicans prevailed in South Dakota's general elections all across the board from SD Senator to SD Public Utilities Commisioner. But the closest race was between Kristi Noem and  Staphanie Herseth Sandlin. Kristi took House by only about 3.5% of the votes. The 3rd oponent in the race for House was Independant, Thomas Marking, who received only about 6% of SD's votes.