1. The Electoral Process
Chapter 7

2. The Nominating Process
Chapter 7
Section 1

3. Key Terms Nomination General Election Caucus Direct Primary
Closed Primary
Open Primary
Blanket Primary
Runoff Primary
Nonpartisan Election

4. A Critical First Step
Nomination- the naming of those who will seek office
Prime function of political parties
Leading reason for the decentralization
Most voters will choose between a Democrat or a Republican
Critical step in the electoral process

5. One party constituencies- the only contest is the nominating process.
Dictatorial regimes point to the importance of nominating process
General Elections- regularly scheduled elections at which voters make their final selection of officeholders
Usually only one candidate per office

6. Nominating Process
Nominations are made five different ways Self announcement Caucus Convention Direct primary Petition

7. Self Announcement Oldest form of nomination
Person simply announces their intention to run
Sometimes used by someone who failed to win the party’s nomination
Whenever there is a write in, it is a form of self announcement

8. George Wallace (1968)
Eugene McCarthy (1976)

9. John Anderson (1980)
Ross Perot (1992)

10. Arnold Schwarzenegger (2003)

11. Caucus
Caucus- a group of like minded people who meet to select a candidate they will support in the next election.
First caucuses held in colonial period
As political parties appeared in 1700’s their role expanded
More practical in earlier times

13. By 1800 Federalists and Democrat-Republicans were choosing the President and Vice-President through congressional caucuses.
Spread of Democracy to new states and the frontier spurred opposition to caucuses
1824 all three leading presidential contenders boycotted congressional caucuses

14. Caucus still used in local elections
Mainly New England
Open to all party members

15. The Convention First convention held in 1831 (the Masons)
All major parties have used the convention since 1840
County conventions
Delegates nominate candidates
Select delegate to go to the state convention
They pick parties nominee for governor

16. And many state wide offices
State conventions also send delegates to the party’s national convention
By 1910 direct primary replaced had replaced the convention in most States

17. Direct Primary- is an intraparty election used to pick candidate for the general election
First used in 1903
Every state has some provision for it
Most state law require a primary for choosing candidates

19. Michigan uses primaries to pick
U.S. Senate and House candidates
Governorship
State legislature
Conventions are used to pick
Lieutenant Governor
Secretary of State
Attorney General

20. Closely regulated by State law
Most States set the date and conducts them
The State provides
polling places
election officials
registration lists
ballots

21. Caucuses are still used for the presidential selection
Also used to pick national convention delegates
There are two types of primary

22. Closed primary-a party’s nominating election in which only declared party members can vote
Used in 25 States
State party membership established by registration
Names are checked against the poll books
Some state allow changing of party on election day

23. Open Primary-also known as cross-over primary
Open Primary-also known as cross-over primary. Party’s nominating election in which any qualified voter can vote
Voters receive a Democrat and Republican ballot and make their choice in the voting booth
Some States the voter must ask for a party’s ballot

24. In 2002 three states used blanket primaries
Blanket Primary- sometimes called the wide open primary. Voters receive a list of every candidate
Democratic Party v Jones made blanket primaries things of the past
Court ruled-state cannot force a political party to deal with outsiders (other parties)
Violated 1st and 14 Amendment

25. Closed versus open primaries Closed primaries rely on three arguments
Prevents one party from raiding another
Helps make candidates more responsive to the party, platform and its members
Makes voters more thoughtful because they must choose between parties

26. Those who criticize the closed primary contend
It compromises the secrecy of the ballot voters must profess their party to others
It tends to exclude independent voters

27. Run off primary if no one wins a majority in a race of the two top vote getters
Eight states require an absolute majority
Most states the winner must just have a plurality of the vote

28. Nonpartisan elections- candidates are not identified by party labels.
Nonpartisan primary
Most States nearly all of the elected school and municipal offices are filled with non-partisan elections
Nonpartisan elections- candidates are not identified by party labels.
About a half of the States judges are chosen this way
Typically if you win a majority in the primary they run unopposed in the election

29. Process by which most of the States organizing delegates
Presidential primary
Very complex process
Offshoot of direct primary
It is not the nominating device
Helps to pick how presidential candidates are chosen
Process by which most of the States organizing delegates

30. Evaluation of a primary
At the parties convention these delegates help to nominate the president
Evaluation of a primary
Primary either open or closed is intraparty
Intended to take the nominating process away from the party
Primaries are expensive

31. Low voter turn out
Adds to the money problems of candidates
Some well qualified people are not elected because they could not raise enough money
Can have a divisive effect.
Each party fights amongst itself

32. Primary places a premium on name familiarity
Often gives the edge to the contender
Gives party members a chance to participate

33. Petition Nominating method used at the local level
Signed by a certain number of qualified voters
Usually nonpartisan school posts
Usually the higher the office the greater number of signatures that are required for nomination by petition