a candidate must be:a candidate must be:

born on born on US soilUS soil

at leastat least 35 years old35 years old

a resident of the US fora resident of the US for 14 years14 years

• political experiencepolitical experience

• military experiencemilitary experience

• moneymoney

• party supportparty support

• lookslooks

political experience

military experience

money

party support

looks

Or all of the above!

straw pollsstraw polls

• mostly informalmostly informal

• done by parties & private organizationsdone by parties & private organizations

• nonbinding resultsnonbinding results

• generate “buzz”generate “buzz”

midterm electionsmidterm elections

• two years outtwo years out

• House and Senate seats up for grabsHouse and Senate seats up for grabs

What kind of people are winning?What kind of people are winning?

……and and where?where?

exploratory committeesexploratory committees

• potential candidates start researching:potential candidates start researching:

Where should I focus?Where should I focus?

Will people vote for me?Will people vote for me?Can I raise enough money?Can I raise enough money?

Where’s my base?Where’s my base?

What would I have to change?What would I have to change?

Who do I want to be seen with?Who do I want to be seen with?

Will my party back me?Will my party back me?

Should I run?Should I run?

beginning of year before electionbeginning of year before election

(or even earlier)(or even earlier)

candidates make intentions knowncandidates make intentions known

(or others push them)(or others push them)

• moneymoney

• media gaffesmedia gaffes

• personal disinterestpersonal disinterest

• public disinterestpublic disinterest

money

media gaffes

personal disinterest

public disinterest

A serious presidential candidate A serious presidential candidate needs to raise $100,000,000 by the needs to raise $100,000,000 by the end of 2007.end of 2007.

- FEC Chairman Michael Stoner

• starts around the beginning of election year starts around the beginning of election year

• parties choose candidate to supportparties choose candidate to support

• state-by-statestate-by-state

• primariesprimaries and and caucusescaucuses

What is a What is a party primary?party primary?

• a statewide election to nominate a candidatea statewide election to nominate a candidate

• may be may be closedclosed

- for registered party members only- for registered party members only

• or may be or may be openopen

- for any registered voter- for any registered voter

Are Virginia primaries open or closed?Are Virginia primaries open or closed?

What is a What is a party caucus?party caucus?

• registered party members registered party members assembleassemble

• divide into groups divide into groups supporting each candidatesupporting each candidate

• group too small? join new groupgroup too small? join new group

• repeat until there’s a repeat until there’s a majoritymajority

IowaIowa and and New HampshireNew Hampshire

IowaIowa – first caucuses of primary season – first caucuses of primary season

New Hampshire New Hampshire – first primaries– first primaries

• seen as very importantseen as very important

• momentum starts heremomentum starts here

The first few primariesThe first few primaries

thin the herd even more.thin the herd even more.

Super TuesdaySuper Tuesday

a.k.a.a.k.a. National Primary Day National Primary Day

• 2222 states hold Democratic primaries states hold Democratic primaries

• 2121 hold Republican primaries hold Republican primaries

• happens in happens in February or MarchFebruary or March

The last primaries are in The last primaries are in JuneJune..

UsuallyUsually, the winners emerge in , the winners emerge in MarchMarch..

But But sometimessometimes it can go ‘til the end. it can go ‘til the end.

National ConventionsNational Conventions

• late late AugustAugust / early / early SeptemberSeptember

• nominationsnominations officially made and accepted officially made and accepted

• big pep ralliesbig pep rallies

• on to the big show!on to the big show!

Finally!Finally!

The The DemocraticDemocratic and and RepublicanRepublican nominees face off. nominees face off.

• media coverage media coverage intensifiesintensifies

• appearances and stump speechesappearances and stump speeches

• policy policy debatesdebates

• nominees choose nominees choose running matesrunning mates

Who are the two men in this picture?Who are the two men in this picture?

AA Abraham Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson DavisJefferson Davis

BB James Buchanan and James Buchanan and John C. FremontJohn C. Fremont

CC William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan and William McKinleyand William McKinley

DD Abraham Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln and Stephen DouglasStephen Douglas

running matesrunning mates may be chosen to: may be chosen to:

• compensate for perceived shortcomingscompensate for perceived shortcomings

• appeal to certain segment of votersappeal to certain segment of voters

• help win battleground state / regionhelp win battleground state / region

compensate for perceived shortcomingscompensate for perceived shortcomings

appeal to certain segment of votersappeal to certain segment of voters

help win battleground state / regionhelp win battleground state / region

The final countdown!The final countdown!

• attacksattacks intensify intensify

• media saturationmedia saturation

• trying to persuade trying to persuade undecided votersundecided voters

the the first Tuesdayfirst Tuesday in in NovemberNovember

Before you can vote:Before you can vote:

• you must be at least you must be at least 1818 and a and a US citizenUS citizen

• some different rules from state to statesome different rules from state to state

• generally, you can’t be a generally, you can’t be a felonfelon

• Virginia voting information can be found Virginia voting information can be found herehere

The The Electoral CollegeElectoral College::

• not a true popular votenot a true popular vote

• # of electors = # of # of electors = # of congressional districts + 2congressional districts + 2

• each state chooses each state chooses electorselectors

• 538538 electoral votes in all electoral votes in all

How many electoral votes does Virginia get?How many electoral votes does Virginia get?

AA 77

BB 1313

CC 2121

DD 2424

A candidate can A candidate can loselose

the popular vote the popular vote

and still and still winwin the election! the election!

Who’s this dude?Who’s this dude?

AA Benjamin HarrisonBenjamin Harrison

BB Ulysses S. GrantUlysses S. Grant

CC Rutherford B. HayesRutherford B. Hayes

DD Charlie DanielsCharlie Daniels

• results usually known the next dayresults usually known the next day

• Thursday, they’re speculating about next timeThursday, they’re speculating about next time

……though though not always!not always!

• inauguration dayinauguration day – January 20th – January 20th

……two years after two years after the whole mess started!the whole mess started!

inauguration dayinauguration day – January 20th – January 20th