C& E – Goal 4 Nominating Candidates

Nominating Candidates Political parties carry out their activities throughout the year but they are busiest at election time They are the only organizations that select and present candidates for public office, they do this through the nomination process

Primary Elections Major parties in all states nominate candidates at all levels of government; the most commonly used method is the direct primary an election where voters choose candidates to represent each party in a general election

Most Common Types of Primary Elections Most states hold a closed primary, in which only the declared members of a party are allowed to vote for that party ’ s nominees Some states hold an open primary, in which voters do not need to declare party preference to vote for party nominees

Primary Elections The candidate who gets the most votes obtains a plurality (the largest number), and wins election, even if it is less than 50% of the votes cast

Primary Elections In a few states the winner must have a majority, which is more than 50% of the total votes If no candidate receives a majority, the party holds a runoff primary between the two leading candidates; the winner becomes the candidate in the general election

Primary Elections Candidates who are not affiliated with either of the two major parties can get on the ballot in most states by petition, if enough qualified voters sign papers declaring support for the candidate they go on the ballot

Other Party Roles *Campaigning for Candidates: Parties raise money for campaigns, they help candidates inform voters, they make sure supporters are registered to vote and ensure on Election Day they go to the polls

Other Party Roles *Informing Citizens: On issues and the way government works, they make speeches, publish pamphlets, and place ads in newspapers, TV, and radio

Other Party Roles *Carrying the People ’ s Message: Parties listen to what people have to say; when a grassroots movement becomes strong enough its ideas will be taken over by a political party

Other Party Roles *Operating the Government: Party members run and staff government; the president, governors, and some mayors appoint supporters to high-level jobs

Other Party Roles *Linking the Different Levels of Government: Political parties help different levels and branches of government work together

Other Party Roles *Acting as a Watchdog: The party out of power watches the actions of the party in power for any mistakes or misuse of power; they criticize and offer solutions