1. Chapter 7: Elections

2. Nominations – the First Step
Before the election can take place, candidates must be nominated
This applies in ALL elections, not just presidential!
Nomination – the naming of candidates who will seek office
After candidates are nominated, the general election is held

3. How Does a Candidate get Nominated?
5 Ways:
Self Announcement
Convention
Caucus
Primary
Petition
**To become a major party nominee for president, the first 4 will be used**

4. Self-Announcement
The candidate simply makes an announcement of his/her intention to seek public office (could have a friend do it, too)
Ross Perot, Independent candidate

5. Self-Announcement
Usually an independent candidate or someone who failed to win a major party nomination
Ross Perot, Independent candidate

6. Caucus
1800s - originally a private meeting of party leaders – no records kept or journalists allowed
The appearance of corruption led to reforms

7. Caucus
Now - a public meeting of any party members who wish to participate and debate

8. Convention
Public meeting of party activists to energize voters and choose a party candidate

9. Convention
Used to be the method for major parties to choose, but the conventions became corrupt
Major parties still use them, but only to make the presidential nomination “official”

10. Primary
A public election held within a political party to choose the party’s nominee for office
Open Primary – any eligible voters may vote
Closed Primary – only registered party members may vote in their party’s primary
Most common method in states today

11. Petition Used mostly at the local level
Candidates are nominated by means of petitions signed by a certain required number of qualified voters

12. Activity I will put you into groups
Each group will be assigned a type of nomination
Your group will discuss and pros and cons of that nominating method
Each group must turn in one piece of paper with all of the group members names and the pros and cons for its nomination method
Be ready to share with the class

13. Election Laws
Elections are required at many levels of government: local, state, federal
Most election laws are made at the state level

14. Dates of Major Elections
Congressional elections occur on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year
Presidential elections occur on the same date as Congressional elections every four years

15. Federal Voting Laws Set dates for national elections
Required secret ballots
Allowed voting machines
Prohibits corrupt practices

16. Election Day
Most states hold local elections on the same day as national elections
Why?
To increase voter turnout

17. Early Voting Absentee Voting – mail in a ballot before the election
Absentee voting originally began as a way to help ill or disabled people to vote. Now it is becoming more common to encourage voter turnout.
Some states have polling locations open several days before the election.

18. Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts – voting district
Polling Place – place where voters who live in a precinct actually vote

19. History of the Ballot
Ballot – a device by which a voter registers a choice in an election
Voting was first done by voice
Next people wrote their choice on a piece of paper and dropped it in a box

20. The Australian Ballot Created in 1856, has 4 features:
Printed at public expense
It lists the names of all candidates in an election
It is given out at the polls, one to each qualified voter
It is marked in secret

21. Automated Voting
Lever operated – complicated to use and difficult to store and move
Punch card ballots – “hanging chads” caused major problems in the 2000 election
Both are now banned

22. Automated Voting Two most commonly used today:
Optical scanners - Paper ballots are marked by voters and counted by a scanning machine – Used in Arizona
Touch screen