1. 8 Phases of Electing the President of United States
Unit 4: Chapter 8 – The Presidency

2. Two main parts: Part 1: Nominating contest: Phases 1-3
Announcement/campaigning
Primary & Caucus Elections
National Party Convention (DNC/RNC)
Part 2: General Elections:
Phases 4-8
Faceoff
General Elections: Popular Vote
General Elections: Electoral College Votes
Certification of votes By Congress
Presidential Inauguration

3. Phase 1: Announcement/campaigning
Date: November 2014 – Dec. 2015:
1. To run or not to run: are you qualified? Put together Exploratory Committee to test popularity & raise money to decide to run or not; jump in any time in this phase, but sooner the better due to importance of $$$!
2. If in: make formal announcement, ready to tour different parts of country with eyes on New Hampshire & Iowa! Giving lots of speeches, opinions on the issues, conduct polls & surveys to see popularity & raise ton of money!

4. Phase 1: Announcement/campaigning
3. Wait and see who joins the race from your party; begin drawing differences between you and rest of party; sometimes take shots against candidates from other party!
?v=AQxHmrm83M0 (anno)
?v=D7EoDi2OxTc (exp. Co.)

5. Phase 2: Primary & Caucus Elections
Date: Jan – June 2016:
4. Nominating contest in each state & territory to decide each party’s candidate from a field of many
5. Most states conduct Primary elections, some Caucuses: both usually in three forms:
Closed: only members of that party can attend
Open: all registered voters can attend
Semi-open: only members of party & independent voters
6. Iowa Caucuses & New Hampshire Primary are the earliest measures of candidate’s success!

6. Iowa Caucus 2012: Republicans

7. New Hampshire Primary 2012: Republicans

8. Phase 2: Primary & Caucus Elections
7. The Primaries are mainly proportional elections: % of popular vote won = % of delegates bound to that candidate
8. Due to Frontloading, by end of April most have been conducted & main candidates from both sides have become clear
9. by end of June usually all others have conceded & winner going in convention is clear!
(Iowa caucus)
(NH primary)

9. Phase 3: National Party Convention (DNC/RNC)
Date: August – September 2016:
10. Each party will hold a four day convention (Monday – Thursday) celebrating end of primary/nominating contest (party in power 2nd)
11. Remaining (if more than one, very rare) candidates do last speeches and ask for support one last time
12. lots of party celebration, music, endorsements take place
13. Roll call: by Wednesday all states begin in alphabetical order announcing the results of their primary elections, formally declaring the winner & parties nominee

10. Phase 3: National Party Convention (DNC/RNC)
14. The winner & the party’s nominee is endorsed, the nominee gives an acceptance speech, and if running mate not announced then he will (rare)
15. The nominee and running mate form a “Presidential Ticket”
16. The nominee looks to “balance the ticket” with choice
17. The party finished convention with stating party “platform”
18. Platform is party’s ideas and stand on issues (planks)

11. Phase 3: National Party Convention (DNC/RNC)
(Idaho roll call)
(Iowa DNC roll call)

12. 2016 National Conventions Locations
Potential DNC locations?
Birmingham
Columbus, OH
New York City
Philadelphia
Phoenix

14. Phase 4: Faceoff! Date: Sept 2016 until election day:
19. Both sides campaign directly at each other:
Democrat v. Republican! Maybe a third party member!
20. TV Commercials ($$$), radio ads, internet ads, robocalls, door to door campaign representatives!
2 intense months of this along with allies of candidates through their PACs!
21. Usually 3 Presidential debates along with 1 VP debate! Held at three different strategic locations. Moderators, locations, and topics of debate closely watched, scrutinized & agreed upon by both candidates!

15. Phase 4: Faceoff! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9b1VQdHNvfY (debate)
(VP debate)
(classic)
(elec ad)
(ad)

17. Phase 5: General Elections: Popular Vote
Date: Nov. 2-8, 2016, remember formula?
22. Elections = 2 part system: popular vote & electoral vote
23. Each state = # of electoral votes = # of Sen. + Rep. that state has in Congress (ex. Georgia has 14 Rep. & 2 Sen. = 16 Electoral votes)
24. Parties in each state will secure that many loyal party voters as electoral college (Dem. 16 & Rep. 16) they will take an oath or make a promise to vote for party’s candidate if he/she wins popular vote!

18. Phase 5: General Elections: Popular Vote
25. The people vote first Tuesday after first Monday of November of an election year (even year) in all 50 states
26. Most states have a winner- take-all system: win popular vote by 1 vote or more, get all the state’s electoral votes
27. Only the winning popular vote side will send its electoral representatives to vote a month later!

19. Phase 6: General Elections: Electoral College votes
Date: 2nd Wednesday in December 2016:
28. Electoral College representatives from the winning side of the popular vote in each state will cast their votes in their respective capitals
29. The votes are gathered, counted, certified by each state and shipped off to the House of Representatives in Washington DC
(el. C)
There a total of 538 electoral votes, to win a candidate needs 270 (51%)

20. Pros & Cons of Electoral College!
Keeps small states in contention
Forces candidates to pay attention
Winner take all on state level gives minority groups some sway
Cons:
Can become president with less than majority support
It inflates some of the smaller states
Irrelevant today due to ease of research & becoming aware of issues

21. Phase 7: Certification of votes By Congress
Date: first day of new session in January (Jan 3-6, ):
30. The electoral votes are recounted and officially recertified by House & Senate members & the winner of the election both President & VP are announced!
(certification)

22. Phase 8: Presidential Inauguration
Date: January 20th, 12PM Sharp!
31. Inauguration: The president is officially sworn onto office by taking the Constitutional Presidential Oath to serve and defend and carry out all Constitutional duties given to him by Chief Justice of US Supreme Court on the steps of capital!
(1st dance)

24. And now you are President! Wonder what that’s like?