THE ELECTION PROCESS

STEPS 1. Announcement 2. State Caucuses or Primaries 3. Conventions 4. Nomination 5. General Election 6. Electoral College Votes 7. Inauguration

ANNOUNCEMENT A person decides to run for office and declares their intentions to run. TV Radio Speech Political Events **Must be qualified** -What are the qualifications to run for the President of the United States?

CAUCUSES AND PRIMARIES Caucus Series of meetings to select candidates & delegates for the National Convention Primaries Intra-party election Parties hold elections in States to select a candidate for their party State regulates these to stop fraud & manipulation **Delegates: People selected at State Conventions to represent states at National Conventions

THE DIRECT PRIMARY Nonpartisan Primary Candidates are not identified by party labels Runoff Primary If a required majority is not met, the two people with the most votes run again Closed Primary Only declared party members can vote. Types of Direct Primaries Open Primary Any qualified voter can take part. Blanket Primary Qualified voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of party

CLOSED PRIMARY On the day of primary election, voters only vote for party they registered with Only people registered with the party can vote People can only vote for their party 24 States

OPEN PRIMARY ANY qualified voter can vote The voter can determine which party they are voting for 26 States

WHICH PRIMARY IS BETTER? Closed 1.Prevents “raiding” 2.Makes candidates follow party platform 3.Makes voter more “thoughtful”, have to choose party Open 1.Voters not forced to declare party to the public 2.Includes independent voters 3.Keeps “ballot secrecy” *

WHICH STATES HOLD THE FIRST CAUCUS AND PRIMARY? Primary = New Hampshire Caucus = Iowa Why are these races so important? Ton of media attention Candidates focus attention to these states If win, establish being the front- runner Give candidates momentum in the election

WHY DO STATES WANT TO GO FIRST? States used to wait to hold primaries and caucuses Why?? The longer you wait the greater input on the nomination Recently states moving primaries & caucuses closer to Iowa and New Hampshire This is called Frontloading

SUPER TUESDAY Refers to Tuesday in February or March of presidential election year when greatest # states hold primary elections Traditionally candidates that do well this day win party’s nomination & do well in general election

PETITION Candidates must gather required # of signatures to get on ballot. Minor party & independent candidates are required by State law to be nominated by petition. Petition is often used at local level to nominate for school posts & municipal offices.

CONVENTIONS Major-party presidential nominees selected President & VP candidates chosen Steps/Levels County Convention (select delegates for state) State Convention (select delegates for national) National Convention (delegates vote for nominee)

NOMINATION Nomination - Party’s official endorsement of candidate for office To win party’s nomination candidate must win majority of delegates support at National Convention Plurality - the most votes Majority - ½ +1 of the votes *

GENERAL ELECTION 1 st Tuesday following 1 st Monday in November every 4 th year Voters cast votes (Popular Vote) Federal Government sets dates, time, & secret ballots State Government decides how to administer election Electronic, mail, online, paper & pencil, etc. Electoral College (casts votes in December)

THE ADMINISTRATION OF ELECTIONS Congress has power to set time, place, & manner of congressional & presidential elections. Congress has chosen 1 st Tuesday after 1 st Monday in November every even- numbered year for congressional elections, with presidential election being same day every 4 th year. States determine details of election of thousands of State & local officials. Most States allow absentee voting, for voters unable to get to regular polling place. Some States have started to allow voting a few days before election day to increase voter participation. Elections are regulated by State law with some federal regulations.

PRECINCTS & POLLING PLACES Precincts A precinct is a voting district. Precincts are smallest geographic unit to carry out elections. A precinct election board supervises voting process in each precinct. Polling Places A polling place is where voters who live in precinct go to vote. Located in/near each precinct. Polling places should be located conveniently for voters.

VOTING MACHINES AND INNOVATIONS Electronic vote counting has been in use since the 1960s. Punch-card ballots often used to cast votes. Vote-by-mail elections have come into use in recent years. Online voting is a trend that may be encountered in the near future. *

SOURCES OF FUNDING Small contributors Wealthy supporters Nonparty groups such as PACs Temporary fund- raising organizations Candidates Government subsidies Private and Public Sources of Campaign Money

REGULATING CAMPAIGN FINANCING Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) 1971 replaced former, ineffective legislation. The FECA Amendments 1974 passed in response to Watergate scandal. Buckley v. Valeo invalidated some FECA Amendments of Stipulated limits placed on spending don’t apply to money raised independently. The FECA Amendments of 1976 passed in response to Buckley v. Valeo. McCain-Feingold campaign reform passed Many Provisions of McCain-Feingold struck down by Supreme Court in Citizens United case 2010.

THE FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces: the timely disclosure of campaign finance information limits on campaign contributions limits on campaign expenditures provisions for public funding of presidential campaigns