The Electoral The Electoral ProcessProcess

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In the United States, the election In the United States, the election process occurs in two steps:process occurs in two steps:

1. 1. Nomination, in which Nomination, in which the field of candidates is the field of candidates is narrowed narrowed

2. General election, the 2. General election, the regularly scheduled regularly scheduled election where voters election where voters make the final choice of make the final choice of officeholderofficeholder

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Three Ways to Nominate Three Ways to Nominate

Self-Announcement – A person who wants to run for office announces their candidacy (i.e. write-in candidate on the ballot)

The Caucus –the caucus as a nominating device fell out of favor in the 1820s.

The Convention –more democratic than the caucus, convention delegates were selected to represent the people’s wishes; the convention system was on its way out by the early 1900s.

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The Direct PrimaryThe Direct Primary

Nonpartisan Primary

Candidates are not identified by party

labels

Runoff Primary

If a required majority is not met, the two

people with the most votes run again

Closed Primary

Only declared party

members can vote.

Types of Direct Primaries

Open Primary

Any qualified voter can take

part.

Blanket Primary

Qualified voters can vote for any candidate,

regardless of party

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Primaries Across the United Primaries Across the United StatesStates

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PetitionPetition

Candidates must gather a Candidates must gather a required number of voters’ required number of voters’ signatures to get on the ballot signatures to get on the ballot by means of petition.by means of petition.

Minor party and independent Minor party and independent candidates are usually required candidates are usually required by State law to be nominated by by State law to be nominated by petition.petition.

Petition is often used at the local Petition is often used at the local level to nominate for school level to nominate for school posts and municipal offices. posts and municipal offices.

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The Administration of ElectionsThe Administration of Elections

Congress has the power to Congress has the power to set the time, place, and set the time, place, and manner of congressional manner of congressional and presidential elections. and presidential elections. First Tuesday after the First Tuesday after the first Monday in first Monday in November November of every even-of every even-numbered year for numbered year for congressional elections, congressional elections, with the presidential with the presidential election being held the election being held the same day every fourth year.same day every fourth year.

States determine the States determine the details of the election details of the election of thousands of State of thousands of State and local officials.and local officials.

Most States provide Most States provide for absentee voting, for absentee voting, for voters who are for voters who are unable to get to their unable to get to their regular polling places regular polling places on election day. on election day.

Elections are primarily regulated by State law, but there are some overreaching federal regulations.

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Precincts and Polling PlacesPrecincts and Polling PlacesPrecinctsPrecincts

A A precinctprecinct is a is a voting district.voting district.

Look up your Look up your Secretary of State’s Secretary of State’s website to find your website to find your local precinct. local precinct.

Precincts are the Precincts are the smallest geographic smallest geographic units used to carry units used to carry out elections.out elections.

Polling PlacesPolling Places A A polling placepolling place

is where the is where the voters who live voters who live in a precinct go in a precinct go to vote. to vote.

It is located in It is located in or near each or near each precinctprecinct

Convenient Convenient locationlocation

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History of the BallotHistory of the Ballot(Back in the Day…)(Back in the Day…)

Voting was initially done orally. Voting was initially done orally. It was considered “manly” to It was considered “manly” to speak out your vote without speak out your vote without fear of reprisal.fear of reprisal.

Paper ballots used in mid-Paper ballots used in mid-1800s. People provided their 1800s. People provided their own ballots. Then, political own ballots. Then, political machines began to take machines began to take advantage of the flexibility of advantage of the flexibility of the process to intimidate, buy, the process to intimidate, buy, or manufacture votes.or manufacture votes.

In the late 1800s, ballot In the late 1800s, ballot reforms cleaned up ballot reforms cleaned up ballot fraud by supplying fraud by supplying standardized, accurate ballotsstandardized, accurate ballots

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Office-Group and Party-Office-Group and Party-Column BallotsColumn Ballots

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Voting Machines and InnovationsVoting Machines and Innovations Electronic vote counting Electronic vote counting

has been in use since the has been in use since the 1960s. Punch-card ballots 1960s. Punch-card ballots are often used to cast are often used to cast votes.votes.

The problems with online The problems with online voting: voting:

Advantages? Advantages? Disadvantages?Disadvantages? (Canada and Estonia case (Canada and Estonia case

study)study)

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Campaign SpendingCampaign Spending

Chapter 7, Section 3Chapter 7, Section 32211 © nperskine 2013

Democratic Candidate(Gross receipts)

Republican Candidate(Gross receipts)

Winner(Receipts difference; % difference)

Obama ($1.1 billion) Romney ($931 million)

Obama

Obama ($750 million)

John Kerry($328,479,245)

McCain ($238 million)

George W. Bush($367,228,801)

Obama

George W. Bush(+$38,749,556; +11%)

Al Gore($132,804,039)

George W. Bush($193,088,650)

George W. Bush(+$60,284,611; +31%)

Bill Clinton($41,697,305)

Bob Dole($57,840,610)

Bill Clinton(-$16,143,305; -28%)

Bill Clinton(~$71,000,000)

George H.W. Bush(~$62,400,000)

Bill Clinton(~+$8,600,000; ~+12%)

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Regulating Campaign FinancingRegulating Campaign Financing Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, Early campaign regulations were created in 1907,

but feebly enforced. but feebly enforced. The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971

was passed to replaced the former, ineffective was passed to replaced the former, ineffective legislation.legislation.

The FECA Amendments of 1974 were passed in The FECA Amendments of 1974 were passed in response to the Watergate scandal.response to the Watergate scandal.

Buckley Buckley v. v. ValeoValeo : most of the limits campaign : most of the limits campaign spending don’t apply to individual money raising spending don’t apply to individual money raising (mainly applies to government funding). (mainly applies to government funding).

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The Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces:(FEC) enforces:

the timely disclosure the timely disclosure of campaign finance of campaign finance informationinformation

limits on campaign limits on campaign contributionscontributions

limits on campaign limits on campaign expendituresexpenditures

provisions for public provisions for public funding of presidential funding of presidential campaignscampaigns

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Loopholes in the LawLoopholes in the Law““More loophole than law…” —Lyndon JohnsonMore loophole than law…” —Lyndon Johnson Soft moneySoft money—money given to State and local party —money given to State and local party

organizations for “party-building activities” that is organizations for “party-building activities” that is filtered to presidential or congressional campaigns. filtered to presidential or congressional campaigns. $500 million was given to campaigns in this way in $500 million was given to campaigns in this way in 2000.2000.

Independent campaign spendingIndependent campaign spending—a person —a person unrelated and unconnected to a candidate or party unrelated and unconnected to a candidate or party can spend can spend as much money as as much money as they want to benefit they want to benefit or work against candidates.or work against candidates.

Issue adsIssue ads—take a stand on certain issues in order to —take a stand on certain issues in order to criticize or support a certain candidate without criticize or support a certain candidate without actually mentioning that person’s name actually mentioning that person’s name (“this ad (“this ad endorsed by…”)endorsed by…”) © nperskine 2013