1. Elections

2. The Purpose of Elections
Elections serve 3 purposes in the United States
To select a set of leaders that will make decisions on the behalf of the citizens
To confer legitimacy on those decision makers.
To provide a link between the people and government

3. Primary Elections General Elections Congress President
Types of Elections
Primary Elections
General Elections
Congress
President

4. Primary Elections
Primary elections are elections held within the political party to select who will be that parties official candidate.

5. Primary Elections
Primary elections were adopted to give the individual members of the party a greater say in their candidate.
The nature of primary elections changes the strategy of the candidates.
Voters are different (More activist and ideological)
Media attention is less
Must mobilize activists to give money and volunteer

6. Primary Elections
Radical
Liberal
Moderate
Conservative
Reactionary

7. Election Cycles
House of Representatives All 435 members up for reelection every 2 years Senate Each Senator gets six year terms, 1/3 of the Senate elected every 2 years President Serves a 4 year term. Can only serve 2 Terms

8. California Election Cycle
2008 All 53 House of Representative Seats Presidential Election 2010 (Off Year) 1 Senate Seat (Boxer) Senate Seat (Feinstein)

9. Congressional Elections
Difficult to be elected due to the presence of “safe seats.”
Safe Seats are any congressional district in which the winning candidate wins with a vote of greater than 55%
Seats that are below 55% are called Marginal Seats
Reelection Rates
House Members: 98% Reelection Rate
Senate: 75% Reelection Rate

10. Congressional Elections
Incumbent Advantage: The advantage held by the person who current holds the office and is running for re-election.
Why is it so high in Congress?
Franking Privilege
Case Work
Pork Barrel (Earmarks)
Why is the advantage not as high for the Senate?
More Competition for the seat
Less Direct Contact With Voters
6 Year Term Give Opponent A Head Start
Sources of Money More Available for Challenger

11. The Electoral College
We call it the Presidential Election (singular) but it practice it is 51 separate elections occurring at the same time (50 states and District of Columbia)
When you vote for President you are actually voting for an elector to vote for you. That elector is already pledged to vote for a candidate (laws in place to guarantee they do)

12. The Electoral College
A State’s number of electors is the total number of Senators and Representatives in the House
2 Senators
+53 Reps
55 Represenatives

14. Electoral College
There are a total of 538 Electoral Votes The District of Columbia is not a state but is given 3 Electoral Votes

15. Electoral College
48 out of the 50 states have a “winner takes all” method. If you get the most votes in that states you get ALL of their electoral college votes, regardless of by how much you win.

16. Electoral College
2 states are different and can divide up their electoral votes based on congressional district- Nebraska and Maine
Nebraska

17. Electoral College
A Candidate must have 270 electoral votes (Majority) to win the Presidential Election

18. Electoral College
If no single candidate gets the required 270 electoral votes what happens? The House of Representatives votes to decide the President
1800
Thomas Jefferson
1824
John Qunicy Adams

19. Election Determined in the House
Electoral College
It is possible to get more votes overall in the elections from the entire country (popular vote) and NOT be elected President
2000
Al Gore 50,944,086 (48.4) 266 Electoral
George W. Bush 50,461,092 (47.9) 271 Electoral
1888
Grover Cleveland 5,538,163 (48.63) 168 Electoral
Benjamin Harrison 5,443,633 (47.80) 233 Electoral
1824
Andrew Jackson (41.36%) 99 Electoral
John Quincy Adams 113,142 (30.92%) 84 Electoral
Election Determined in the House
1876
Samuel Tilden 4,286,808 (50.92) 184 Electoral
Rutherford B. Hayes 4,034,142 (47.92) 185 Electoral