Elections and Voting

Types of Elections Primary elections – voters decide which of the candidates within a party will represent a party’s ticket in the general election. General election – voters decide which candidates will fill the nations elective public offices. Initiative – citizens propose legislation and submit to the state electorate for popular vote, as long as they get a certain number of signatures on a petition supporting the proposal.

Referendum – a state’s legislature submits proposed legislation to the state’s electorate for proposal. Recall – the removal of an incumbent from office by popular vote. Caucus – a closed meeting of party leaders in which they select candidates for office.

Types of Primary Closed – only registered members can vote in this primary. Open – party members, independents and members from another party can vote. Run off – conducted for nomination contests in which no candidate has received a majority. The two candidates polling in the preceding poll are the candidates and the winner is the official party nominee.

Blanket – one can vote for both a Republican candidate and Democratic or any other person for office. Presidential – is used to pick delegates to the presidential nominating convention of the major parties. It is held in some states. Invisible –refers to the efforts of would-be candidates to gather support, raise funds and cultivate the media in the year before the visible primaries for president begin. Essentially, the wealthiest Americans pre-select and pre-determine who the next president will be.

Differences between primaries and caucuses Primaries are considered democratic in that a party’s members choose candidates for public office; caucuses are undemocratic in that a party’s leaders choose the candidates for public office. Caucuses are closed in that only party members are able to take part; but primaries allow persons who are not party members to be involved in choosing candidates.