Chapter 7

The Electoral Process

Section 1The Nominating Process

• Nomination- naming of those who will seek office

• Prime function of political parties• Impact on the right to vote– Nomination process– General Elections- make final selection of office

holder

A Critical 1st Step

A Critical First Step

• During the process voters are narrowing the field of candidates before the general election

• 5 different ways to nominate candidates

Ways to Nominate

Self-Announcement• Oldest form• Found mainly in small

towns and rural communities

• Person running announces the decision to run– Unhappy with party’s choice– Failed to win nomination– Write in candidates

Caucus• Group of like minded

people who meet to select candidates

• Originally closed meetings • As parties developed they

took over the process• As U.S. grew it wasn’t a true

representation– Jackson, Clay and J. Q. Adams

boycotted it.

Ways to Nominate

• Took over after Caucus failed• Anti-Masons were the first in 1831• All major party nominees have been chosen

by convention ever since

Convention

Ways to NominateDirect Primary

Closed Primary• Only declared party

members can vote• 26 states and D.C. use this

method• Voters register which party

they are affiliated with

Open Primary• Any qualified voter can take

vote• Private: Ballots for both

parties that are being polled• Public: Voter must ask for

which ballot they want to participate in.

• Blanket Primary– All voters are given the same

ballot regardless of party

Closed Primary

Advantages• Prevents one party from

“raiding” the other’s primary to choose a weaker candidate

• Helps make candidates more responsive to the party

• Helps make voters more thoughtful

Disadvantages• Compromises secrecy of the

ballot since voters must declare their party

• Excludes independent voters

Open Primary

Advantages• Voters are not forced to

declare a party in public• Open to independent voters

Disadvantages• Permits raiding• Undercuts the concept of

party loyalty and responsibility

Direct PrimaryRunoff Primary

• In some states a majority is needed to win the nomination

• If nobody gets the majority then another election will be held with the top 2 vote getters from the original election

Direct PrimaryNonpartisan Primary

• School and municipal positions• Candidates are not identified by party labels

Direct PrimaryEvaluation

• Voter turnout is half of what a general election is– Long ballots, having to declare party, not being

able to declare a party, etc.• Campaigns can be expensive– Well qualified people choose not to run

• Creates division in party– Close contest can divide

Direct PrimaryPresidential Primary

• Only one part of the nominating process• States can choose delegates who go to the

national convention• And/or voters choose contenders for their

parties nomination

Petition

• For those who are not nominated by a major party

• Usually at the local level• Potential candidate needs to get a certain

amount of signatures on their petition, required by state law– The higher the position, the more signatures

needed

Section 2Elections

“Don’t Vote? Don’t Complain!”

Administration of Elections

• Democracy only works if elections are free, honest and accurate.

• Laws about qualifications, registration and provisions for direct primary protect the integrity of voting

Administration of Elections

• Extent of Federal Control– Most election law is state law– Constitution allows Congress to set times and dates

for elections• Tues. after 1st Monday in November of even numbered

years

– Require secret ballots– Voting rights for people– Regulate campaign practices

• Money

Administration of Elections

• When Elections are held– Most states follow the day set by the fed. Gov’t• Prevents elections from falling on Sunday (Church and

State)• Keeps elections from falling on the 1st of the month

(payday) – No pressure from campaigns

Administration of Elections

• Early Voting– Absentee voting- unable to get to regular polling

places• Ill or disabled• Expecting to be away (business, college, vacation, etc)• Serving in Armed Forces• Mark the ballot, seal it and return to proper official

Administration of Elections

• Early Voting (Continued)– 1/3 of states allow early voting• More convenient• Cast ballots over a period of days

Administration of Elections

• The Coattail Effect– When a strong candidate attracts voters to other

candidates on a party’s ticket– Can also have a reverse effect– Keeps people more involved

Precincts and Polling Places

• Precinct- a voting district– Smallest geographic units for conducting elections– Size = between 500 to 1,000 qualified voters

• Polling place- place where the voters vote• Precinct board supervises the process• County clerk or board draws lines, fixes voting

locations and picks members of the precinct board

Precinct and Polling Places

• Board makes sure ballot machines/boxes are available

• Check to make sure only qualified voters vote• Both parties have watchers– May challenge any person who they think is not a

qualified voter

Casting the Ballot

• Ballot- device by which a voter registers a choice

• Secret ballot

Casting the Ballot

• 5 types of ballots– Australian Ballot• Printed at public expense• Lists the names of all candidates• Given out only at the polls• Marked in secret

Casting the Ballot

– Office Group Ballot (Massachusetts ballot)• Candidates for an office are grouped together under

the title of the office • Used to be alphabetical but now rotated

– Party-Column Ballot (Indiana Ballot)• Each party’s candidates are listed in a column under the

party’s name• Often time there is a marker to vote for all of the party

members– Politicians favor this ballot

Casting the Ballot

– Sample Ballots• Handed out before an election• Mailed, printed in newspapers

– Bedsheet Ballots• Long list of candidates• Vote for as many offices as possible = more democratic• Very American type of ballot

Voting Machines and Innovations

• Thomas Edison had 1st patent for voting machine

• Electronic vote counting (EDP)– Punch card ballots– Marked with ink (scantron)

Voting Machines and Innovations

• Vote by Mail Elections– Ballot is sent to you, you vote, then mail it back– Usually local elections– Oregon now holds all elections by mail– Some fear it goes against the secret ballot– Some say it is the most fraud proof• Better voter turnout

Voting Machines and Innovations

• Online voting– Fear of hackers, viruses, lack of access, fraud

Section 3Money and Elections

• Campaign Spending– Cost varies for different offices• President, Congress etc.

– TV ads, campaign managers, advertisements, pamphlets, buttons, posters, etc.

Sources of Funding

• Private and Public Sources– Major source of income– Small Contributors- 10% of voters– Wealthy (Fat Cats)- Donate large amounts, in their

best interests– Candidates – help their own causes– Non-Party groups – Political Action Committees

(PACs) Special interest groups

Sources of Funding

– Temporary organizations – groups formed for the immediate purposes of a campaign• Hold their own fundraisers (dinners)• Subsidy- a grant or gift of money, usually from a

government

Sources of Funding

• Why people give– Participation– Believe in the cause– Access to government– Recognition– Policies (change or kept the same)

Regulating Campaign Finance

• 1907- first regulation put on donations– No corporation or national bank can make a

money contribution to a federal campaign• Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971• FECA Amendments of 1974 (Watergate

Scandal) and 1976 (Buckley v Valeo)

Federal Election Commission

• Set up in 1974 to administer federal law with campaign finance

• An independent agency in the executive branch

• 6 appointed members, approved by Senate• Laws cover 4 broad areas

FEC

• Disclosure Requirements– Very detailed reports– Who donated, how much, how they donated etc– All contributions must be made through a single

campaign committee• Only that committee can spend the money

FEC

• Limits on Contributions– No person can give more than $1,000 in a primary

election or general election– No more than $5,000 to a candidate or $20,000 to

a party in a year– Limited to $25,000 a year

FEC

• PAC Contributions– Special interest groups for businesses and other

organizations– No corporation or union can donate– PACs are created to fundraise and donate money• BANKPAC, NEAPAC, etc.

FEC

– Pool their money together– Give it to candidates who support their cause– No more than $5,000 to one candidate or $10,000

per election cycle– $15,000 a year to a party– No overall limit

Limits on Expenditures

• Limits on presidential spending not congressional campaigns

• Buckley v Valeo (1976)– Said money = freedom of speech– Struck down limits to house or senate candidates• Limit on how much the candidate can spend• No person can spend more than $1,000• Spending limits only apply to those who get money

from the FEC

Public Funding of Pres. Campaigns

• Presidential Election Campaign Fund– On Tax Return you can choose to donate $3 to the

fund• Helps fund pre convention campaigns, national

conventions and presidential election campaigns

Pre-Convention Campaign

• To be eligible for public funds a candidate must raise $100,000 from individuals

• Must be in lots of $5,000 from 20 states• No individual donation can be above $250• FEC will match up to half of the overall limit of

each candidate

National Convention

• If a Political Party applies for grant to pay for national convention they will get it

Presidential Election Campaigns

• Every major party nominee qualifies for subsidy to cover costs of campaign

• If they take the money then they can not spend more than given or accept money from outside sources

Presidential Election Campaigns

• Minor party candidate can qualify if– They received 5% of the popular vote in the last

election– If they get 5% of popular vote in current election• They will get the money after the election

Loopholes in the law

• Soft Money- money given to state and local party organizations– PACs– Support local voter registration, mailings,

advertisements and education

Loopholes in the law

• Independent Campaign spending– An individual does not donate but spends how

they want to help a candidate• Often against the other candidate

Loopholes in the law

• Issue ads– Ads focused on public issues– Do not specifically say “vote for Joe”• Social sec., health care, foreign trade, etc.