The Electoral ProcessChapter 7

The Nominating Process

A Critical First StepNomination

◦ Naming those who will seek office.◦ Very Critical part of the process.

General Elections◦ Voters make the final elections of officeholders.

Five ways in which nominations are made in the U.S:◦ 1- Self-Announcement◦ 2- Caucus◦ 3- Convention◦ 4- Direct Primary◦ 5- Petition

Self AnnouncementThe method is

simple.A person who wants

to run for office simply announces that fact.

Someone who failed to win a regular party nomination or by someone unhappy with the party’s choice.

The CaucusA group of like

minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in an upcoming election.

The ConventionThe delegates

nominate candidates for county offices and select delegates to the next rung on the convention ladder, usually the State convention.

Country conventions pick the party’s nominees for governor and other state wide offices.

The Direct Primary This in an intra party

election. It is held within a party

to pick that party’s candidates for general election.

Two basic forms of direct primary.◦ Open Primary- is a party

nominating election in which any qualified voter can take part.

◦ Closed Primary- is a party nominating election in which only declared party members can vote.

Closed vs. Primary1- It prevents one party from raiding

the other’s primary in the hope of nominating weaker candidates in the other party.

2- It helps make candidates more responsive to the party, its platform, and its members.

3- It helps make voters more thoughtful because they must chose between the parties in order to vote in the primaries.

PetitionNominating method is used fairly

widely at the local level in American politics today.

Most founded in a local level.

Elections

The Administration of Elections

Extent of Federal Control◦ Congress has powers to set times and places to

vote.When elections are held

◦ Tuesday after the first Monday in November.Early Voting

◦ Those who are ill or disabled to make it.◦ Those who will be away from home.◦ Those serving in the armed services.

Cocktail Effect◦ Occurs when a strong candidate running for an

office at the top of the ballot helps attract voters to other candidates on the party’s ticket.

Precincts and Polling Places

Precinct- is a voting district.

Polling Place- the place where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote-is located somewhere in or near each precinct.

Casting the BallotAustralian BallotOffice Group

BallotThe Party

Column ballotSample BallotsBedsheets

Ballots

Automated Voting

Electronic Vote Counting

Vote by Mail Elections

Online Voting

Money and Elections

Campaign SpendingNo one knows how much money

is spent.◦Presidential Campaigns cost 1.5

billion. ◦How much depends on the office

involved, the opposition, the candidate, whether she or he is the incumbent, and the availability of campaign funds.

Sources of FundingTwo basic sources:

◦Public treasury◦Private contributions

Why People Give? ◦Belief in the party.◦Want something in return.◦Want appointments to public offices.◦Want certain laws passed.

Regulating Campaign Finance

Congress does not have the power to regulate the use of money in State and local elections.

Every state now regulates at least some aspects of campaign finance, however some of them more effectively than others.

The Federal Election Commission

Disclosure RequirementsLimits on Contributions

PAC ContributionsLimits on Expenditures

Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns

Hard and Soft MoneyHard Money

◦ Placed limits◦ Money raised

and spent to elect candidates for Congress and the White House

Soft Money◦ Funds given to

party organizations for such party-building activities as candidate recruitment, voter registration and get out the vote drives, and similar efforts.