1. Electoral Process
Nominating

2. nominating Self-announcement Caucus Usually write-in candidates
Thus far 4 prominent presidential contenders
George Wallace, Eugene McCarthy, John Anderson & Ross Perot
Caucus
Group of people who meet to select candidates to support upcoming election
Later disappated

3. Convention Direct primary Replaced caucus Nominates a candidate
Held within a party to pick candidate
2 forms
Closed primary
Only party members can vote
Open primary
Any voter can vote

4. Nonpartisan primary Presidential primary
Candidates not identified by party labels
Elected school and municipal offices
Contender who wins majority runs unopposed in general election
Presidential primary
Offshoot of direct primary
Not nominating device, but 1 part of process for choosing candidate
Possibly 2 things depending on state
Voters elect some or all of state party delegates to party national convention; or/and
Preference election
Voters choose among contenders for party’s nomination

5. Elections

6. Administration of Elections
Federal control
Most election law is “state” not “federal” law
Federal election laws do exist
Congress can fix:
Times
Places
Manner of holding elections of members of congress
Congress can set:
Time for choosing presidential electors
Set date for casting electoral votes
Regulate other aspects of presidential election process

7. Congress set date for congressional elections
1st Tuesday following 1st Monday in November of every even numbered year
Same date every 4th year for presidential election
Congress requires use of secret ballots and use of voting machines in federal elections
Protects right to vote
Prohibits various corrupt practices
Regulates financing of campaigns for federal office
Help America Vote Act of 2002
Due to ballot and voter registration problems in several states during presidential election of 2000
Non-computerized voting machines replace by 2006
Upgrade administration of elections (training of all)
centralize and computerize voter registration systems
Provide for provisional voting
If eligibility of voter challenged, later found valid, vote then counts

8. Election day Early voting Coattail effect
Most states same date set for national elections in November of every even- numbered year
Reason
“Tuesday alter the 1st Monday” prevents election day from falling on Sundays
Separation of church and state
1st day of mon
Often payday could be subject to campaign pressures
Early voting
Absentee voting
Voting w/out going to polling place on election day
Coattail effect
Strong candidate helps attract votes to other candidates on party’s ticket
Most apparent in presidential elections

9. Precincts & Polling Places
Voting district
Smallest geographic units
Restricted to an area of 500 – 1,000 qualified voters
Polling place
Place where voters who live in a precinct vote

10. Casting the ballot Ballot Australian ballot
Device a voter registers a choice
Australian ballot
4 major features
Printed public expense
Lists names of all candidates
Given only at polls
Marked in secret
Not used any more, but a form of it used

11. Office-group ballot Party-column ballot Sample ballots
Original form of Australian
Candidates grouped together under title of office
Candidates appear in a block also known as office-block
Party-column ballot
Known as Indiana ballot
Candidates listed in column under party’s name
Professional politicians favor this ballot
Encourages straight-ticket voting
Sample ballots
Available in most states before election
Cannot be cast, help voters prepare

12. bedsheet ballot American ballot lengthy
Many candidates
Many offices
Due to it’s length known as bedsheet ballot
Longest ballots local level
Believed rule should be:
Elect those who make public policy; appoint those who administer the policy

13. Electronic vote counting
Automated voting
Voting done on electronic voting device
Thomas Edison patented 1st voting machine in 1868
1st used in public election Locksport, NY in 1892
Use to be lever operated – now computer
Electronic vote counting
Known as electronic data processing (EDP)
Use to use punch cards –- difficult for computers to read
Used in FL election in 2000
Most states now use either/or
Paper ballots counted by high-speed optical scanners; or
Touch-screen

14. Vote-by-mail elections
ballot received in mail and mail back to election officials
Usually confined to local level
Oregon only state to have all-mail primary and general election; including presidential in 2000
Proponents felt increases voter turnout & reduces costs
Opponents felt threatens principle of secret ballot and fraud
On-line voting
Voting via internet
1st e-voting took place in TX
Astronaut David Wolf ed from space station Mir
Proponents feel will increase voter turnout & reduce costs

15. Opponents feel hackers, viruses, fraudulent vote counts, violations of secrecy, etc.
Also feels undermines basic American principles of equality – not all have computers

16. QUIZ QUESTIONS What is the purpose of absentee voting? (2 pts)
What factor determines location of a voter’s polling place? (2 pts)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of voting by mail and voting online? (8 pts)
Do you support either of these voting methods? Explain your answer. (4 pts)
Use complete sentences and proper grammar to answer your questions and explain any answers
BONUS: Who patented the 1st voting machine?

17. Money & Elections

18. Campaign Spending $ needed to run campaigns
Getting/spending $ can corrupt political process
Presidential elections largest share campaign $
Congressional campaign spending increases (senate & house)
Areas for campaign spending
Radio & TV spots, professional campaign managers & consultants, newspaper advertsiments, pamphlets, buttons, posters, bumper stickers, office rent, polls, data processing, mass mailings, web sites, travel, etc.

19. Total Campaign Spending: 1960 - 2004
Year
Est. Spending
(millions)
Voter Turnout
Spending/ Voter
1960
175
68.8
$2.54
1964
200
70.6
$2.83
1968
300
73.2
$4.10
1972
425
77.7
$5.47
1976
540
81.6
$6.6
1980
1.2
86.6
$13.87
1984
1.8
92.7
$19.42
1988
2.7
91.6
$29.48
1992
3.2
104.4
$30.68
1996
4.0
96.5
$41.45
2000
5.1
105.4
$48.39
2004
6.0
120.2
$49.92

20. Sources of Funding Private contributions Major source
Small contributors ($5, $10, etc.)
Wealthy individuals & families (large $)
Fat cats
Candidates
Their families, incumbents, those who hold an office & want to keep it
Ross Perot – spent $65 million of own $ in 1992
Nonparty groups
Political action committees (PACs)
Temporary organizations
Formed for immediate purposes of the campaign

21. Public sources
Subsidies (grants) from federal & state treasuries

22. Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Administers federal laws on campaign finances
Laws they enforce:
Timely disclosure of finance info
Place limits on contributions
Place limits on expenditures
Provide public funding for several parts o presidential election process
PAC contributions
Corporations & labor unions cannot contribute
Registered w/FEC
Ex: AFL-CIO, AMPAC (Am Medical Political Action Committee, etc.)