1. [ 10.4 ] The Voting Process

2. Congressional Elections
Held every two years on even-numbered years
Mid-Term Elections aka Off-Year Elections held between presidential elections
Low voter turnout
Incumbents - currently holding office
Generally win elections due to low voter turn out, success in office, or good campaigning, duck responsiblity
Coattail Effect
Weak or less known candidates win based on success of popular presidential candidate through party affiliation
NO FEDERAL FUNDING

3. Presidential Elections
Held every four years—more competitive
Two major parties receive federal funding in general election
Phases of Presidential Candidacy:
Getting mentioned
Primaries and Caucuses
Nominating Conventions
General Election
Electoral College

4. Filling Elected Public Offices
A young Hawaiian voter signs in at the polls. In Hawaii, teens can preregister to vote at age 16, but they must be 18 by election day to actually vote.

5. Filling Elected Public Offices

6. Filling Elected Public Offices

7. Precincts, Polling Places, and Ballots

8. Casting and Counting Ballots

9. Quiz: Precincts, Polling Places, and Ballots
The selection of a polling place should focus most significantly on
A. size.
B. location.
C. facilities.
D. cost.

10. Quiz: Casting and Counting Ballots
What basic right could be undermined as a result of online-only voting?
A. freedom of assembly
B. freedom of speech
C. equality under the law
D. universal suffrage

11. National Convention
Held every 4 years during the late summer of the Presidential election year (AUG or SEP)
Each state sends a number of delegates to represent their state at the convention
Delegates nominates the party’s Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates (Primary Purpose)
Primaries “weed out” most candidates and generally one is left for the national convention
Adopts the parties rules and writes the party’s platform
Seen today as a major televised campaign advertisement for the party along with a celebration and festival

12. RNC (Republican National Convention)

13. DNC (Democratic National Convention)

14. National Committee
Lead by the National Chairman and comprised of delegates from all the states
Tries to strengthen the party by raising money, recruiting new voters, and supporting party members in other offices
Runs campaigns

15. National Chairperson Official leader of the party’s National Committee
Chosen for a 4-year term by the President or Presidential Nominee and ratified by the national committee

16. RNC Chairperson: Reince Priebus (2016)
DNC Chairperson (interim): Donna Brazile (2016)

17. Primary Elections
Primary election: an election in which people select party members to run in the general election
There are two types:
1. Closed: only members of a political party can vote
2. Open: all voters may participate

18. National Conventions Occur every 4 yrs.
Ticket: candidates for President and Vice President
Purpose is to bring the party back together

19. National Convention
Platform: a statement of the party’s principles, beliefs, and positions on vital issues
Plank: individual parts of the platform

20. National Party Functions
This aerial view of the 2012 Republican National Convention shows the festivity and crowd reaction as nominee Mitt Romney accepted the Republican presidential nomination.

21. State and Local Party Functions
Local party organization can vary from State to State, but this chart shows a common example. Analyze Charts What is the difference between a ward and a precinct?

22. Three Ways to Nominate

23. Competing for Delegates
The Nomination Game
Competing for Delegates
Nomination game is an elimination contest
Goal is to win a majority of delegates’ support at the national party convention, or the supreme power within each of the parties
The convention meets every four years to nominate the party’s presidential and vice- presidential candidates.
Conventions are but a formality today.

24. Competing for Delegates
The Nomination Game
Competing for Delegates
The Caucus Road
Caucus: meetings of state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national convention
Organized like a pyramid from local precincts to the state’s convention
A handful of states use a caucus—open to all voters who are registered with a party
The Iowa caucus is first and most important.

25. The Primary Road- Most delegates are chosen through primaries.
The Nomination Game
The Primary Road- Most delegates are chosen through primaries.
McGovern-Fraser Commission led to selection of delegates through primary elections
Superdelegates: democratic leaders who automatically get a delegate slot
Frontloading is the tendency of states to hold primaries early to capitalize on media attention. New Hampshire is first.
Generally primaries serve as elimination contests.

26. Presidential Primaries
Significance of Primary Timing- front-loading primaries

27. Nominating and Electing a Candidate