1. Magruder’s American Government
C H A P T E R 7 The Electoral Process
© 2001 by Prentice Hall, Inc.

2. S E C T I O N 1 The Nominating Process
Why is the nominating process a critical first step in the election process?
What are self-announcement, the caucus, and the convention nominating methods?
Why is the direct primary the principal nominating method used in the United States today?
Why do some candidates use the petition as a nominating device? 2 3
Chapter 7, Section 1

3. Bell Ringer
What are self-announcement, the caucus, and the convention nominating methods?

4. Bell Ringer
Why is the nominating process a critical first step in the election process?

5. Chapter 7 Introduction Assignment
Vocabulary: (note card format) hard money, soft money, political action committee, precinct, coattail effect, nonpartisan election, runoff primary, blanket primary, open primary, closed primary, caucus Paragraphs: 1. What are the five broad categories that describe the way in which nominations are made? Explain each. 2. Describe the differences between an open and closed primary. 3. What role do precincts and polling places play in the election process? 4. Identify five types of private donors to a political campaigns and explain why they might want to contribute money to candidates. 5. Explain the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, what its purpose was, and its effect.

6. 1. A runoff primary is held in some States when
Bell Ringer
1. A runoff primary is held in some States when
(a) no one wins a majority of votes.
(b) there is only one candidate.
(c) not enough voters turn out on election day.
(d) a candidate asks for a recount.

7. Lets think… What are the two steps in the electoral process?
What is a nomination?
What is a general election?
What are the 5 types of nominations?
Explain:
Self Announcement
Caucus
Convention
Petition
Primary
Closed Primary
Open Primary
Public declaration
Private choice
Blanket Primary
Blanket Primary – every voter receives the same ballot regardless of party affiliation.

8. Closed Primary Supporters
Prevents one party from raiding another.
Helps make candidates more responsive to the party, its members, and its platform
Makes votes more thoughtful because they must choose between the parties in order to vote in the primary
Closed Primary Critics
Compromises the “secrecy” of the ballot because it forces voters to make their party preferences public
Excludes independent voters

9. In the United States, the election process occurs in two steps:
A Critical First Step
In the United States, the election process occurs in two steps:
1. Nomination, in which the field of candidates is narrowed
2. General election, the regularly scheduled election where voters make the final choice of officeholder 2 3
Chapter 7, Section 1

10. Nominating and Electing a Candidate2 3
Chapter 7, Section 1

11. Three Ways to Nominate 2 3
Chapter 7, Section 1

12. Types of Direct Primaries
The Direct Primary
Types of Direct Primaries
Closed Primary
Only declared party members can vote.
Open Primary
Any qualified voter can take part.
Blanket Primary
Qualified voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of party
Runoff Primary
If a required majority is not met, the two people with the most votes run again
Nonpartisan Primary
Candidates are not identified by party labels 2 3
Chapter 7, Section 1

13. Primaries Across the United States2 3
Chapter 7, Section 1

14. Petition
Candidates must gather a required number of voters’ signatures to get on the ballot by means of petition.
Minor party and independent candidates are usually required by State law to be nominated by petition.
Petition is often used at the local level to nominate for school posts and municipal offices. 2 3
Chapter 7, Section 1

15. Nomination Assignment
Answer these questions for each state, territory or commonwealth in at least a paragraph.
What type of nominating system do they have in that state, territory or commonwealth? Explain it works there.
When was their primary or caucus (date)?
How did the candidates finish? (Percentages)
How many delegates do the candidates pick up from that state?
Then make a note card for the bulletin board with the states name and picture on one side and the date of the primary or caucus and what type of nomination process they have and number of delegates.

16. Bell Ringer 1. A runoff primary is held in some States when
(a) no one wins a majority of votes.
(b) there is only one candidate.
(c) not enough voters turn out on election day.
(d) a candidate asks for a recount.

17. In what ways can voters cast their ballots?
S E C T I O N 2 Elections
How does the administration of elections in the United States make democracy work?
What role do precincts and polling places play in the election process?
In what ways can voters cast their ballots?
What role do voting machines and other innovations play in the election process? 1 3
Chapter 7, Section 2

18. Bell Ringer 2 3 Turn in your Objective 4 and 5
1. The most commonly used method of nomination today is
(a) the caucus.
(b) the direct primary.
(c) self-announcement.
(d) the convention.
Want to connect to the Magruder’s link for this chapter? Click Here! 2 3
Chapter 7, Section 1

19. The Administration of Elections
Elections are primarily regulated by State law, but there are some overreaching federal regulations.
States determine the details of the election of thousands of State and local officials.
Most States provide for absentee voting. Some States within the last few years have started to allow voting a few days before election day to increase voter participation.
Congress has the power to set the time, place, and manner of congressional and presidential elections.
Congress has chosen the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year for congressional elections, with the presidential election being held the same day every fourth year.
The details of the election process can seem boring to some of you but understanding the details plays an important role in understanding how democracy itself works. We are a democratic nation are we not? What is democracy? –a form of government in which supreme authority rests with the people. Part of that is our free election process. You need to understand that process and part of that is the election its self. We have talked about how people can be nominated now we are going to talk about the election itself.
-Congress has certain powers when it comes to the administration of elections.
-to set the time, place, and manner of federal elections (congress and president)
- 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November which is when this year? November 6th
- Congressional elections are held on even numbered years and the presidential election every four years on they fall on even numbered years too
-the have also required states to keep their voting machines up to date, requiring that they replace their lever operating machines by 2006.
(most states did not meet that deadline.)
-states determine the details for the local elections. Such as
-absentee voting.
-some states also have set dates for state office elections, MS,LA, NJ, VA, use the 1st Tuesday after 1st Monday in Nov but on odd numbered years. This prevents the coat-tail effect.
- What is the Coat Tail effect? 1 3
Chapter 7, Section 2

20. Coat-tail Effect
When a strong candidate running for office helps attract voters to the other candidates of that same party on the ticket. If you are voting for the republican presidential candidate you are more likely to vote republican on the rest of the ballot.
- What is the Coat Tail effect? When a strong candidate running for office helps attract voters to the other candidates of that same party on the ticket. If you are voting for the republican presidential candidate you are more likely to vote republican on the rest of the ballot.

21. Precincts and Polling Places
A precinct is a voting district.
Precincts are the smallest geographic units used to carry out elections.
A precinct election board supervises the voting process in each precinct.
Polling Places
A polling place is where the voters who live in a precinct go to vote.
It is located in or near each precinct. Polling places are supposed to be located conveniently for voters.
Precincts
Read bullet 1
Read bullet 2
-Each precinct has between people.
Read bullet 3
(The County Circuit Clerk is in charge of the voting and the precincts in MS)
Polling Places
Read 1 3
Chapter 7, Section 2

22. Petal Area Voting Precincts
District 3
Barrontown-Macedonia Recreation
Leeville Community Center
Petal Civic Center - Petal Community Center
Petal Masonic
Sunrise Community Center
District 4
Hattiesburg Public School Administration Building
Court Street United Methodist Church chapel,
Palmer's Crossing Community Center
Lillie Burney Elementary School
McLaurin Community Center
Rowan Center of Hattiesburg High School
Salvation Army Administration Building
West Petal W. Fifth Ave., Petal
Read these which one is closest to you and about how far is it from you?

23. Casting the Ballot History of the Ballot
Voting was initially done orally. It was considered “manly” to speak out your vote without fear of reprisal.
Paper ballots began to be used in the mid-1800s. At first, people provided their own ballots. Then, political machines began to take advantage of the flexibility of the process to intimidate, buy, or manufacture votes.
In the late 1800s, ballot reforms cleaned up ballot fraud by supplying standardized, accurate ballots and mandating that voting be secret.
Bullet 1- but when the electorate began to increase, it brought with it the increased intimidation, vote buying and other corruption. So paper ballots began to make their way in to the election process.
Bullet 2- (political machine – local party organizations capable of mobilizing or “manufacturing” large numbers of votes on behalf of candidates for political office)
Bullet 3- 1 3
Chapter 7, Section 2

24. Australia Ballot printed at public expense
lists all of the names of candidates in the election
given out only at the polls, one to each voter
marked in secret
A new voting arrangement was devised in Australia where it was first used in an election in Victoria in 1856.
This ballot has four essential features:
-printed at public expense
-lists all of the names of candidates in the election
-given out only at the polls, one to each voter
-marked in secret

25. Office-Group and Party-Column Ballots
-Office group ballot was original form of the Australian ballot. They are grouped under the title of the office they are running for. They are randomly place, not in alphabetical order. Most often used
-This is preferred by professional politicians because it encourages straight ticket voting. 1 3
Chapter 7, Section 2

26. Voting Machines and Innovations
Electronic vote counting has been in use since the 1960s. Punch-card ballots are often used to cast votes.
Vote-by-mail elections have come into use in recent years.
Online voting is a trend that may be encountered in the near future.
The first voting machine was invented by Thomas Edison. 1 3
Chapter 7, Section 2

27. Section 2 Review What is the purpose of absentee voting laws?
How can the coat-tail effect influence election results?
The smallest geographic unit for conducting an election is…?
What is a ballot?
What different forms does the ballot take in the US?
Who has the power to set congressional election dates?
What gives them that power?

28. Bell Ringer 1. The Office-Group Ballot encourages (a) voter fraud.
(b) split-ticket voting.
(c) voter dissatisfaction.
(d) the Democratic Party.

29. Electronic Voting
Read Page 195
Answer questions 1 & 2 in paragraph form
Turn it in on the front table

30. Bell Ringer 1 3 1. Elections are held on
(a) the first Wednesday after Halloween.
(b) the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
(c) the second Thursday after the first Monday in March.
(d) the first Monday in December.
Want to connect to the Magruder’s link for this section? Click Here! 1 3
Chapter 7, Section 2

31. S E C T I O N 3 Money and Elections
What are the issues raised by campaign spending?
What are the various sources of campaign funding?
How do federal laws regulate campaign finance?
What role does the Federal Election Commission have in enforcing campaign finance laws?
What loopholes exist in today’s campaign finance laws? 1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3

32. Campaign Spending 1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3

33. Private and Public Sources of Campaign Money
Sources of Funding
Private and Public Sources of Campaign Money
Nonparty groups such as PACs
Small contributors
Temporary fund-raising organizations
Wealthy supporters
Candidates
Government subsidies 1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3

34. Regulating Campaign Financing
Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, but feebly enforced.
The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 was passed to replaced the former, ineffective legislation.
The FECA Amendments of 1974 were passed in response to the Watergate scandal.
Buckley v. Valeo invalidated some of the measures in the FECA Amendments of Most significantly, it also stipulated that several of the limits that the 1974 amendments placed on spending only apply to candidates who accept campaign money from the government, not those who raise money independently.
The FECA Amendments of 1976 were passed in response to Buckley v. Valeo. 1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3

35. The Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces:
the timely disclosure of campaign finance information
limits on campaign contributions
limits on campaign expenditures
provisions for public funding of presidential campaigns 1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3

36. Loopholes in the Law 1 2 “More loophole than law…” —Lyndon Johnson
Soft money—money given to State and local party organizations for “party-building activities” that is filtered to presidential or congressional campaigns. $500 million was given to campaigns in this way in 2000.
Independent campaign spending—a person unrelated and unconnected to a candidate or party can spend as much money as they want to benefit or work against candidates.
Issue ads—take a stand on certain issues in order to criticize or support a certain candidate without actually mentioning that person’s name. 1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3

37. Bell Ringer 1 2 1. Sources of campaign funding include
(a) nonparty groups, such as political action committees.
(b) government subsidies.
(c) candidates’ personal funds.
(d) all of the above.
Want to connect to the Magruder’s link for this section? Click Here! 1 2
Chapter 7, Section 3

38. Bell Ringer
1. Under federal election legislature passed in the 1970s, candidates are not allowed to
(a) take government subsidies.
(b) use their own money in campaigns.
(c) take contributions of more than $1,000.
(d) all of the above.

39. Chapter 7 Test Review:
1. You must find an interesting and interactive way to teach these concepts to the class.
*(No lecturing)*
2. Everyone in your group must be involved in the process. Be detailed in you “teaching”. Don’t just give an over view of the topic.
3. Make a short test 5-7 questions and we will combine them all for the test on Monday. I will add the essay question(s) to the end of the test. Questions are to be turned in tomorrow, April 27. **If your questions are not legitimate or are ridiculous, I will make the questions myself.
4. 2 groups of 4 and 3 groups of 5
**You will be your Teaching lessons tomorrow: April 27