1. 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
Purpose of Elections

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

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

4. 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

5. 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
Primaries Scheduling

6. 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
Leads to Front Loading

7. 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
Party Conventions

8. Differences in Primaries
Republican
Winner Take All Primaries
Democratic
Proportional Primaries
Super Delegates
Voters entitled to become delegates to their party’s nominating convention by virtue of their position in the Government or Party Hierarchy
Ensures Party Control for Democrats
Can break a tie
Are not pledged to a certain candidate
Differences in Primaries

9. Quiz Define an Open Primary Define a Closed Primary
Describe the concept of front loading
List the 2 goals of a political party
What precedes a political realignment?
Quiz

10. 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
Electing the President

11. Like most things at Constitution the Electoral College is a compromise
Direct Popular vote and Congress choosing the President
Electors were meant to be men of character with a solid knowledge of national politics
The Electoral College

12. What is the Electoral College?
It is the constitutional system used to elect the Chief Executive.
Established by Article II of the Constitution and the 12th Amendment (1804).
Each state is assigned a specific number of electors.
When you vote for President, you are actually voting for the group of electors from your state.

13. Once again....
When you cast your vote, you are actually voting for the ELECTORS from your state.
The candidate that gets the most votes in your state, gets those electors.
WINNER TAKE ALL SYSTEM!!!!!
If you win a plurality of the votes, you get EVERY VOTE!!!!

14. To Find the Number of Electoral Votes for a state
So:
There are 538 Electoral Votes on the map
To win:
538/2=269
A majority is
50% + 1
So to be President you need
270 Electoral Votes
Number of Representatives in the House +
Number of Senators (Always 2)
Total Number of Electors
TO WIN THE WHITE HOUSE YOU MUST WIN A MAJORITY OF ELECTORAL VOTES
The candidate that wins the popular vote in that state gets all that state’s electoral votes (except for Maine and Nebraska).

16. NO Do the electors have to vote for the candidate from their party?.
While the state electors are "pledged" to vote for the candidate of the party that chose them, nothing in the Constitution requires them to do so. In rare instances, an elector will defect and not vote for his or her party's candidate.
Such "faithless" electors rarely change the outcome of the election and laws of some states prohibit electors from casting them.

17. What procedure is followed for the electors to vote?
Answer:
Electors meet in their state capitals on the Monday
following the second Wednesday in December to cast their votes.
The electoral votes are then sealed and transmitted to the President of the Senate (same as the VP). In 2008, this would be Dick Cheney
When do we finally have an official winner?
  Answer:
On January 6th, the President of the Senate announces
the winner before both houses of Congress.

18. Why do we have the Electoral College?
Concerns of Founders
President would use military to overpower states
Would use office to hold power through force and corruption
Protection against the “ignorant masses”
Areas of small population would be ignored
Results
Large states have more say, but small states are guaranteed at least 3 electoral votes

19. 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
Mid Term Elections

20. Congressional Elections vs. Presidential Elections
Coattail effect - Presidential popularity effecting congressional elections in midterm years
Congress communicates with their constituents more directly, often personally, while President relies on media
Congress reps can deny responsibility and blame problems on other reps or President
Congressional Elections vs. Presidential Elections

21. Types of Participation
2000 Election participation
82% watched the campaign on television
51% voted in the election
34% tried to influence others how to vote
10% put a sticker on their car
9% gave money to help a campaign
5% attended a political meeting
3% worked for a party or candidate
Types of Participation

22. Who REALLY participates?
Different factors can tell us who votes
Education – MOST IMPORTANT, more education=more voting
Income- More income you have, the more you vote
Political Participation- The more you participate in other political activities, the more likely you are to vote
Age – is the lowest, and 45 and up is the highest
Who REALLY participates?

23. Voter Turnout Registered Voter turnout Eligible Voter turnout
Voter Registration – blamed as one of the causes of low turnout
“Motor-Voter” (1993) – National Voter Registration Act – allowed people to register to vote while they get license
Voter Turnout

24. Other reasons for low turnout
Difficulty of Absentee Voting
Number of Offices to Elect too high
Weekday, non-holiday voting
Weak political parties – less “get-out-the- vote campaigns
Other reasons for low turnout

25. General Election vs. Mid Term Election
38.6% of the electorate voted in the mid term election
56.8% Turnout for the 2008 election
Why is voter turnout higher for the general election than the midterm elections?
Media Coverage (Greater Interest)
More Money Spent on Presidential Elections
Higher Visibility
Perception of Greater Importance of Presidential Elections
Mobilization

26. 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
Initiative, Referendum, Recall

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

28. Quiz Describe the Winner Take All Aspect of the Electoral College
What party’s primary is a winner take all primary
Define Super Delegates
List 3 things the FECA establishes
What is the only function of a PAC?
What was the decision in Citizens United v. FEC
What signals a party realignment
List the 2 goals of a Political Party
Define Political Efficacy
What is the difference between Hard and Soft Money