1. To be eligible to vote in Oklahoma, you are required to have lived in the state for
a. one week
b. one month
c. three months
d. six months
e. no specified length of time

The correct answer is e. No specified length of time of residency is required to register to vote in Oklahoma.

2. Which of these people cannot vote?
a. A 95 year old person
b. A convicted felon
c. Anyone who owes taxes
d. An elected official
e. Someone who doesn’t own property

The correct answer is b. A convicted felon cannot vote.

3. To vote in an election, you must submit your registration how many days in advance?
a. 24
b. 25
c. 30
d. 32
e. 60

The correct answer is a. You must submit your registration 24 days before an election to vote in that election.

4. Can registered independent voters typically vote for other parties in a primary election?
a. no
b. yes
c. if the party says they can

The correct answer is c. Whether independent voters can vote in a primary is a decision of the parties.

5. Which of the following forms of identification cannot be used at the polls?
a. drivers license
b. bank statement
c. voter id card
d. credit card
e. pay check

The correct answer is d. All the other items listed can be used as identification at the polls.

6. Which of the following has not been a requirement to vote?
a. property ownership
b. ability to read English
c. being over 30 years old
d. being a white male
e. able to pay $30

The correct answer is c. All the other requirements have at one time or another been official. Payments to vote have ranged from 50 cents and up.

7. Which Amendment states that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state, on account of race, color or previous servitude.”
a. 5th Amendment
b. 10th Amendment
c. 12th Amendment
d. 14th Amendment
e. 15th Amendment

The correct answer is e. The 15th Amendment is listed above. The 5th Amendment is about Grand Jury, Double Jeopardy, Self-Incrimination and Due Process. The 10th Amendment discusses the rights of the states. The 12th Amendment relates to the choosing of the President, Vice-President. The 14th Amendment refers to citizen rights of Privileges and Immunities, Due Process, Equal Protection, Apportionment of Representatives, Civil War Disqualification and Debt. To view the Constitution visit law.cornell.edu/constitution/constitution.overview.html.

8. In what year was the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, ratified?
a. 1919
b. 1920
c. 1922
d. 1928
e. 1929

The correct answer is a. Women received the right to vote in 1919.

9. In what year did Congress pass the Voting Rights Act?
a. 1963
b. 1965
c. 1969
d. 1972
e. 1973

The correct answer is c. The Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965. The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964.The president at the time was Lyndon Johnson.

10. The Voting Rights Act ended which practices that kept many African American voters from being about to register to vote:
a. American history tests
b. Literacy and moral character tests
c. Eye-sight examinations
d. Recitation of the Preamble to the Constitution
e. American geography quiz

The correct answer is b. Many states kept African Americans from registering to vote by forcing them to take reading and moral character tests.

11. The 26th Amendment sets which standard for voters:
a. they must be natural born citizens
b.they must be able to recite the preamble to the Constitution
c. they must be 18 years or older
d. they must be able to name all 50 states
e. they must have graduated from high school

The correct answer is c. The 26th Amendment changed the voting age to 18. Public opinion influenced this opinion; 18 year old men were risking their lives in Vietnam but did not have a voice in the democracy. This situation sparked legislation that changed the voting age.

12. Which event influenced the 26th Amendment?
a. Prohibition
b. Vietnam War
c. The Red Scare
d. The Voting Rights Act
e. The assassination of President John F. Kennedy

The correct answer is b. See the explanation for question 11.

13. Which state does not require voter registration?
a. Montana
b. North Dakota
c. South Dakota
d. Texas
e. Alabama

The correct answer is b. North Dakota is the only state that does not have voter registration. The state rejected voter registration in 1951. It does suggest voter registration for city elections, but only one city in the state complies. On election days, polling precincts may “challenge” a voter if the voter does not have proper identification.

14. Amendments to the Voting Rights Act in 1975 helped non-English speaking people in what way:
a. by giving them ballots in their language or interpreters at the polls
b. by offering civic education classes
c. by allowing them an extra day to vote
d. by letting them register to vote over the phone
e. by allowing relatives to assist them in the voting booth

The correct answer is a. Polling precincts must have either translated materials or an interpreter at the polls for Non-English speaking citizens.

15. The word “ballot” comes from the Italian “ballotta,” which means:
a. one voice
b. a raised hand
c. a wheel
d. little ball
e. a smooth surface

The correct answer is d. The word “ballotta” is Italian for little ball. At one point, Italians used small balls to cast their votes.

16. The first votes in the US were cast using:
a. tickets
b. coins
c. a show of hands
d. voice
e. a dropped hat

The correct answer is d. When called, voters would stand up and share their vote. This allowed voters who could not read or write a chance to participate.

17. In Ancient Greece, citizens voted to _________ their officials:
a. execute
b. elect
c. exile
d. promote
e. celebrate

The correct answer is c. Citizens in Ancient Greece voted in opposition of a candidate. If a candidate got a certain number of “negative votes” he or she would be exiled for 10 years.

18. in which state can voters register on the day of the election?
a. Michigan
b. Minnesota
c. New York
d. North Carolina
e. South Carolina

The correct answer is b. In Michigan, they have same-day registration. Five other states also have this option. They are Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. In 2000, voter turnout was 10 percent higher in these states.

19. In which state do voters all cast ballots by mail?
a. Montana
b. Wisconsin
c. Colorado
d. Maine
e. Oregon

The correct answer is e. Voters in Oregon cast their votes by mail; they get their ballots two weeks before the election and may return them up to Election Day. There are many opponents of this process, pointing out the possibilities for fraud. The turnout in Oregon is 87 percent and its costs are 30 percent less.

20. What percentage of US eligible voters turned out at the polls in 2004?
a. 40 %
b. 50%
c. 60%
d. 70%
e. 75%

The correct answer is c. The voter turnout in 2004 was 60.7 percent. It was the highest turnout since 1968.