Chapter 7: The Electoral Process “Any American who cannot bother to vote and who thinks that a single vote does not matter is letting America down” ----Marian Wright Edelman (1992)

Section 1: The Nominating Process The BIG Idea: The nominating process is a key part of an election because it narrows the field of possible candidates

The Importance of Nominations Nomination—the naming of those who will seek office The nominating process is important because the United States has a strong two-party system, which means that there are usually only two viable candidates for any office

5 Major Ways to Nominate 1. Self-Announcement the oldest form of nominating often used in small town elections or rural areas also used by people at high levels who fail to get their party’s nomination or are unhappy with its choice

2. The Caucus Caucus—a group of like-minded people that meets to select the candidates it will support in an upcoming election Early caucuses were private meetings made up of a few influential figures Still used to make local nominations in some areas, but they are now open to all members of a party

3. The Convention First used in 1830s and quickly caught on as the only way to select presidential candidates In local areas, party members elect delegates to represent them at county level; country conventions elect delegates to the State conventions; and those delegates select the party’s presidential and vice-presidential nominees. This process was corrupted by party bosses and fell out of favor in the late 1800s. But, no adequate substitute for the device has been found at the presidential level

4. The Direct Primary The direct primary is an election held within the party to pick the party’s candidates for the general election. In a closed primary only declared party members can vote to decide which candidate the party will support In an open primary any qualified voter may vote to decide which candidate a party will support

Direct Primary Continued Runoff Primary—In states that demand that the winning candidate of each party holds an absolute majority of that party’s votes, runoff primaries are held in which voters must choose between the two top vote getters. Nonpartisan Primary—Most school and municipal officials are chosen from ballots that do not identify candidates party affiliation Presidential Primary—In these elections, voters declare their preference for a particular candidate and elect delegates to a party’s convention

5. Nomination by Petition At the local level, this process is commonly used for nonpartisan posts Candidates for public office are nominated by means of petitions signed by a certain number of qualified voters in the election district

Section 2: Elections The BIG Idea The detailed procedures that govern the casting of votes for elected officials help ensure a democratic way of life

The Administration of Elections 1. The extent of federal control Most election law is state law Congress sets time, place, and manner of congressional elections It has also passed laws designed to protect the right to vote and prevent election fraud

The Administration of Elections 2. When Elections are Held Most states hold elections for State offices in November of every even-numbered year Some state hold certain elections at other times, usually in spring……..school board “Tuesday after the first Monday” formula Voting before election day can be done through absentee voting– a process by which people can vote without going to polling place on election day

The Administration of Elections 3. The Coattail Effect A popular candidate at the top of the ticket helps other candidates from the same party Some argue that State and local elections should be held at different times than presidential elections in order to lessen this effect

Precincts and Polling Places Precinct– a voting district. State law restricts their size, generally to an area with no more than 500-1000 qualified voters Polling Place—the place where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote---is located somewhere in or near the each precinct

The Ballot 1. The Australian Ballot—first used in Victoria in 1856……by 1900 nearly all states were using it Four essential features: It is printed at public expense It lists the names of all candidates in an election It is given out only at the polls, one to each voter It is marked in secret

The Ballot 2. The Office-Group Ballot—is the original form of the Australian Ballot…also sometimes called the Massachusetts ballot. Candidates for an office are grouped together under the title of that office.

The Ballot 3. The Party-Column Ballot—lists each party’s candidates in a column under the party’s name Also called the Indiana ballot Encourages straight ticket voting

The Ballot 4. Sample Ballots—are clearly marked as samples Available before elections In some states, they are mailed to voters Appear in newspapers It lists all candidates as they will appear on the actual ballot

The Ballot 5. Bed Sheet Ballots—a typical American ballot is lengthy….it lists so many offices, candidates, and ballot measures that even the most well informed voters have a difficult time marking it intelligently Long Ballot—lists all the candidates for an office Short Ballot—only lists the major candidates for an office

Section 3: Money and Elections The BIG Idea: The use of money, a needed campaign resource that poses a variety of problems, is regulated in today’s elections

Campaign Spending No one really knows how much money is spent on elections in the United States Radio and TV time, professional campaign managers and consultants, newspaper advertisements, pamphlets, buttons, posters and bumper stickers, office rent, polls, data research, mass mailings, web sites, office rent, travel……..

Sources of Funding 2 main sources: private contributions and public treasury Sources of $ in American politics: Small contributors Wealthy individuals and families Candidates themselves Political Action Committees (PACs) Temporary organizations Party fundraisers Subsidy—a grant of money usually from the government

Regulating Campaign Finance 1. The Federal Election Commission (FEC)—agency whose members set limits on campaign contributions and spending, require disclosure of finance data, and administer public funds for parts of the presidential election process 2. Disclosure Requirements—strict laws govern who can contribute to political campaigns, how much each person may give, and how campaign funds may be spent

Regulating Campaign Finance 3. PACs—may contribute to presidential campaigns 4. Limits on Contributions—Federal law limits contributions by individuals, unions, national banks, and corporations 5. Limits on Expenditures—Federal law limits spending on presidential elections 6. Public Funding of Presidential Elections—monies are given for tax break purposes

Regulating Campaign Finance 7. Preconvention Period—The FEC provides public funds to candidates by matching private, individual contributions 8. National Conventions—Each party automatically receives a grant of public funds to pay for its convention 9. Presidential Campaigns—major party nominees automatically qualify for a public subsidy to cover campaign costs….but does not have to accept it

Regulating Campaign Finance 10. Hard Money vs. Soft Money Hard Money—money raised and spent to elect candidates for Congress and the White House….given to campaigns directly and is regulated by the FEC Soft Money—funds given to the party for such “party-building activities” as candidate recruitment, voter registration, and voting drives……does not have to be regulated