Elections Process

State and Local Elections

1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November Every year

Sometimes in May–School Levies, City issues

Congressional Elections

Same day every EVEN year

Presidential Elections

Same day – Every Four (4) years

Ballots

Australian Ballot–Printed at Public Expense–All candidates on one ballot–1 ballot per voter–Secret voting

Ballot Types

Party Column Ballot

• Ballot has option for voting only for a specific party– Democrat,

Republican, 3rd parties

• Good for party loyalists

Office Group Ballots

• Ballot is organized by political office– Pres, Governor,

Mayor, Senate, etc.• Good for “split ticket”

voters

Ballot TypesParty Column Ballot Office Group Ballot

Voting Machines and Innovations

Lever machinesElectronic Voting

Paper cards with ink

Punch cards (butterfly ballot)

Touch screenOptical scan

Coattail EffectWhen a candidate’s popularity HELPS

other candidates in his/her party win alsoObama Helped Dems in 2008

FDR helped Democrats win in 1932

Reverse Coattail EffectWhen a candidate/policy lack of

popularity HURTS the chances of others in his/her party

ObamaCare hurt Dems in 2010

Bush Hurt McCain in 2008

Nominating Process ofPolitical Parties

Nominating ProcessMost important function of

partiesFirst step in electing candidates

Sets practical limits on voter choices

Self-Announcement

Announce your own candidacy

Usually no partyRoss Perot, 1992Ralph Nader, 2004

Caucus

Meeting of citizens of one party to case vote for one candidate

Iowa – first caucus, representative of entire nation

The Direct Primary Most similar to an election

Average Voters choose candidate New Hampshire is First state Closed Primary – only registered

party members vote Open Primary – everyone votes

all ballots count Runoff Primary – top two finishers

will compete again

Party Convention

Party members from across the country gather to choose candidates

Week long Media event

Ohio’s Primary System Open Primary

Declare party when you show up Can change parties from year to

year Your party is determined by your

vote Our Presidential Primary is in

March Super Tuesday

Current Nominees for 2016*** As of 4/13/2015***

REPUBLICAN• Ted Cruz – Sen. Texas• Rand Paul – Sen. Kentucky• Mark Rubio – Sen. Florida

DEMOCRAT• Hillary Clinton – former

Sen. NY; former Sec. of State