1. Unit 2.3 The Electoral Process
Nominating Process

2. Two steps of the election process
Nomination – field of candidates narrowed
General Election – regularly scheduled election where voters make the final choice of officeholder

3. Five Ways to Nominate
Self-Announcement – person who wants to run for office announces their candidacy
Used early in history & for write in candidates
Petition – candidate gathers a required # of signatures
Used for local nonpartisan level & state/federal level to make it difficult for minor parties
Caucus – private meetings of local bigwigs, not widely used since 1820s
Direct Primary – party election to choose candidate
Convention - delegates selected to choose candidate

4. elections
Voters choose about 500,000 elected positions
Most election law in U.S. is State Law
Elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even numbered years
Why you ask?

5. Extent of federal control
Congress fixes time, place and manner of elections
Requires secret ballot
Regulates financing of campaigns for federal office

6. Absentee voting Ill or Disabled
Those who expect to be away (college, travel, etc)
Military

7. Precincts and Polling Places
Precinct - voting district
Smallest political unit in elections
About 500 to 1,000 voters
Polling place - where those in a precinct vote
Poll watchers - from each party help monitor fairness at polling place

8. Types of Ballots

9. What do you already know about the Electoral College? List everything!
What is the Electoral College?
How many electors have there been since 1964?
How many electors do candidates need to win?
List reasons people criticize the Electoral College.
How does the Electoral College protect “small” states?
What type of state is Idaho? What impact do you think this may have on voters?

10. Electoral Votes A breakdown…not notes
Representatives + Senators = Electoral Votes
Total of 538 electoral votes
(435 Reps, 3 from DC and 100 Sen)
Candidate must win majority of electoral votes to win presidency (270)
Delegates vote based on popular vote
“Winner Takes All”
ALL electoral votes go to the candidate who won the most popularity votes in that state

12. Electoral Votes Some possible dilemmas…
What about a tie?
House of Representatives votes (each state = 1 vote)
What if a candidate wins POPULAR VOTE but not the ELECTORAL VOTE?
Candidate does NOT become president
Some historical (and present) examples
Andrew Jackson/ John Quincy Adams 1824
Samuel Tilden/ Rutherford B. Hayes 1876
Grover Cleveland/ Benjamin Harrison 1888
Al Gore/ George W. Bush 2000
Hillary Clinton/ Donald Trump 2016

13. Why the Electoral College?
Three reasons why the framers of the Constitution wanted an electoral college:
Equality – balanced between big states and small states (population)
Fear – general public wasn’t educated enough to cast adequate votes
Knowledge - No way for people to know about candidates from other places (no media!)

14. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Electoral Process
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

15. Money and Elections Money is a necessary campaign resource
The getting and spending of $ can corrupt the political process

16. Sources of Funding Private and Public Sources of Campaign Money
Small contributors
($200 or less)
Examples: Bernie Sanders 77% total contributions
Nonparty groups such as PACs (Political Action Committees)
Examples: $173M Priorities USA (Clinton) & $20.3M Rebuilding America Now (Trump)
Wealthy supporters
Examples: $21.8M Sussman (Clinton) & $10.5M Adelson (Trump)
Temporary fund-raising organizations Examples: direct mail requests, telethons, Internet solicitations)
Candidates
Examples: Ross Perot - $65 Million & Donald Trump $56.1M

17. Why do people donate? Political participation
Believe in party or candidate
Access to government
Want appoint to office
Social recognition
Organizations want things done

18. Regulating campaign finance
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces:
Timely disclosure of campaign finance information
Limits on campaign contributions
Limits on campaign expenditures
Provisions for public funding of presidential campaigns

19. Loopholes in the law “More loophole than law…” —Lyndon Johnson
Soft money— money given to state and local party organizations for “party-building activities”
Independent campaign spending— a person unrelated/unconnected to candidate/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