1. The Electoral Process
Unit 6

2. The Nominating Process

3. First Step Nominating is the process of candidate selection
Those who make nominations place real, very practical limits on the choices that voters can make in an election
Five ways that nominations are made:
Self-Announcement
Caucus
Convention
Direct Primary
Petition

4. Nominating and Electing a Candidate

5. Self Announcement Oldest form of nominating process/Write in
If someone wants to run, they simply announce that
Sometimes used when the person failed to win a regular party nomination or by someone who is unhappy with the parties’ choice
Four prominent presidential contenders have used this method:
George Wallace-1968
Eugene McCarthy-1976
John Anderson-1980
Ross Perot-1992

6. Caucus
First record in 1763
Legislative Caucus- Meeting of a party’s members in the State legislature
Congressional Caucus- Each political party choosing their presidential nominee
Used today mostly for local nominations (New England) where it is open to all members of the party

7. Convention
First one took place in Since then, major political parties have used this method to elect presidential nominees
Problems:
“party bosses” could manipulate system for preferred candidate
Because of this, the caliber of conventions has declined
Process:
Party members meet at a local level to pick candidates for offices and select delegates to represent them at the county convention (called caucus)
At caucus, the delegates nominate candidates for county offices and select delegates for state convention
At state conventions, delegates pick nominee for governor or other state office and send delegates to national convention
At national conventions, delegates nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates

8. Direct Primary
Replaced conventions in most states and became principal method for nominating in states
First state was Wisconsin in 1903
States run these, not parties
Types:
Closed Primary
Only declared party members can vote
Open Primary
Party nominating election in which any qualified voter can take part
Only in 23 states

9. 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

10. Primaries Across the United States

11. Closed Primary Pros of Closed Primary Cons of Closed Primary
Prevents one party from “raiding” other party
Helps make candidates more responsive to party, its platform, and members
Helps make voters more thoughtful because they choose between parties
Compromises secrecy of ballot
Excludes independent voters from nominating process

12. Open Primary Cons of Open Primary Pros of Open Primary
Voters are not forced to make their party preference public
Tendency to exclude independent voters is eliminated
Permits primary “raiding”
Knocks out concept of party loyalty and party responsibility

13. Primaries
If a tie occurs, runoff primary election is held where top two candidates face each other
Municipal and school offices are nonpartisan elections with no party affiliation
Primaries tend to cause divisiveness within party
Voter turnout for primaries is usually less than half of general election
Most vote for the name they are familiar with

14. Petition
Candidates for public office are nominated by means of petition signed by a certain number of qualified voters
The higher the office, the higher the number of signatures needed for nomination
Usually used at local level
Usually required by state laws for nominating minor party candidates

15. Elections

16. Administration of Elections
Must be free, honest, and accurate
Most elections laws are state laws
Congressional Elections- 1st Tuesday following 1st Monday in November of every even- numbered year
Presidential Elections- same date every 4th year
Congress requires secret ballots and voting machines
Virginia elects the governor, executive officers and state legislatures in November of odd-numbered years
Early Voting
Absentee
Too ill or disabled to get to polling place
Expect to be away from home on election day
Serving in armed forces
Pre-Voting (allows voters to cast vote few days before election)
Texas= 17 days

17. Why Tuesday Video

18. Precincts and Polling Places
A precinct is a voting district.
Precincts are the smallest geographic units used to carry out elections.
voters
York county Election Districts.jpg
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.

19. Casting the Ballot Secret ballots required by state law. Why?
Original voting was orally. Why?
Office-Group Ballot: Candidates for an office are grouped together
Party-Column Ballot: Each party’s candidates are listed in a column
Bedsheet Ballot: Lengthy, hard to read/ found at local level
Australian Ballot: has 4 essential features (used in most states today)
Printed at public expense
Lists the names of all candidates in an election
Given only at polls, one to each voter
Marked in secret

21. Voting Machines and Innovations

22. 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.

23. Wireless voting machine issues
elections-serious-security-concerns-with- wireless-voting-equipment/