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One of the features of a true democracy is free and open elections. This feature depends on citizens meeting their responsibilities to be well-informed and participatory voters. Voting is one of the greatest rights and responsibilities of American citizens. The question is how well are Americans fulfilling their civic responsibility of being a responsible voter?
Your research task is:
Evaluate how well Maryland citizens are fulfilling their civic responsibility to vote by taking the first step, registering to vote.
Registering to vote represents the first step toward fulfilling one of the greatest rights and responsibilities of being an American citizen – the civic responsibility to vote.
In order to answer this question, there are two types of information to analyze:
1. Qualitative: The first type of information we will examine is qualitative. Qualitative forms of information deal with descriptions and data that are observed, but not measured.
Example:
An example of this type of information is the voter registration eligibility requirements listed in the "Voting in Maryland" brochure published by the Maryland Board of Elections. This is a qualitative form of information because it describes the qualifications you must meet in order to register to vote in Maryland.
This information taken from the brochure shows the voter eligibility requirements in Maryland.
(Source: Maryland State Board of Elections: Voting in Maryland, 2013-2014)
2. Quantitative: Another type of information is quantitative. Quantitative information deals with numbers and data that are measured and displayed in charts or graphs.
Example:
One example of this type of information is the 2010 federal census records for population age groups living in Maryland.
This chart shows the 2010 federal census forthe age groups living in Maryland.
(Source: United States Census Bureau: Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010)
Another example is the Maryland Board of Elections chart of registered voters by county in the state of Maryland.
This chart shows the number of registered voters by county in the state of Maryland.
(Source: Maryland State Board of Elections: Eligible Active Voters on the Precinct Register - By County for the 2014 Gubernatorial General Election)
To proceed with answering the research question, we will need to gather information from both the qualitative and quantitative forms of information.
Watch the following video to learn how to integrate both the qualitative and quantitative information to answer the research question. (As you watch the video, keep in mind that the United States census or a counting of the population is conducted every 10 years. The most recent census was 2010. When comparing election and census data, you are comparing 2010 census data to 2014 election data.)
Evaluate how well Maryland citizens are fulfilling their civic responsibility to vote by taking the first step, registering to vote.
