1. Elections in the United States

2. Purpose of Elections Founders called it Popular Sovereignty
Political Power is derived from the consent of the governed
Elections fill public offices and staff the government
Elections also hold the Government accountable to the public

3. Types of Elections Presidential Elections (General)
Primaries
Congressional Elections
Mid-term Elections
“Referendum on the President”
State and Local
Imitative, Referendum, and Recall

4. Presidential Elections
Primary Elections
Voters decide which of the Candidates within a party will represent the party’s ticket in the General Elections

5. Types of Primaries Closed Open Runoff
Only a registered party member is allowed to vote (FLA, LA, NY, CA)
Open
Any member of the Electorate can vote in either primary (GA, AL, TX, VA)
Crossover voting does occur frequently in Open Primaries
There is little evidence to support “raiding” of primaries
Runoff
Second Primary election between the top 2 vote getters
LA is a little strange

6. Primaries Scheduling
Critics argue unfair scheduling of Primaries affects their outcomes
Take New Hampshire. Who really cares what the think? But because they are the first primary in our nation some say they get way too much media coverage and affect the opinions of the electorate in more populous states that hold their primaries later

7. Leads to Front Loading
Front Loading- the tendency of states to chose an early date on the primary calendar
Parties have finally said enough is enough and have taken delegates out of states who continue to move up their primaries
Ex. Michigan
Super Tuesday- In southern states began Super Tuesday to maximize the South’s influence on Presidential Politics

8. Party Conventions
All the States report the number of delegates voting for a candidate
All the candidates give a brief speech supporting the Nominee
The Party’s nominee gives a speech about how he/she will change the world
News Coverage is extensive which leads to the Convention Bounce

9. Electing the President
The President is not elected by a Direct Vote
Congress is a direct election
The Gubernatorial election is a direct election.
The President is elected by the Electoral College

10. Mid Term Elections
Off Year elections- In-between presidential elections
Less Participation than a Presidential Election
The president’s party normally loses seats during this election
Midterm Elections serve as a REFERENDUM on the President
2006 Mid Term election Republicans lost 30 seats in the house and 6 in the Senate giving the Democrats control in Congress

11. REGULARLY SCHEDULED ELECTIONS
Elections are held at fixed intervals that cannot be changed by the party in power.
O National government establishes WHEN they will be
O States determine HOW the voting will occur with some restrictions from National government

12. REGULARLY SCHEDULED ELECTIONS
 It does not make any difference if the nation is at war, as we were during the Civil War, or in the midst of a crisis, as in the Great Depression; when the calendar calls for an election, the election is held.
 Elections for members of Congress occur on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years.

13. REGULARLY SCHEDULED ELECTIONS
 Although there are some exceptions (for special elections), participants know in advance when the next election will be.
The predetermined timing of elections is one of the defining characteristics of democracy in the United States.

14. WINNER-TAKES-ALL The candidate with the most votes wins
Most American election districts are single-
member districts, meaning that in any district for any given election, the voters choose one representative or official
When a single-member district is combined with the winner-takes-all rule, there is a powerful push to sustain a two-party system

15. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Incumbent campaigns–In 2016, 97% of House incumbents were successful
Weak challenger campaigns (don't have perks such as franking privilege)
 Strong challenger campaigns (due to incumbent vulnerability and challenger wealth)
Open seat campaigns (through death, retirement, redistricting-promotes some turnover)

16. THE SENATE
The six-year term and the national exposure make a Senate seat competitive The essential tactics of Senate races are much like those for the House Incumbency is an advantage for senators, although not as much as for representatives; 2016 election 87% of incumbents were re-elected

17. Initiative, Referendum, Recall
Initiative- An election that allows citizens to propose legislation and submit it to the state electorate for popular vote
Referendum- An election whereby the state legislature submits proposed legislation
Good Things- This provides for more Direct Democracy
Bad Things- in California had to provide a 2 volume book explaining all the initiatives on the ballot

18. Recall
Or Deelection
Voters can vote to remove an incumbent from office prior to the next scheduled election
Example?