1. The Election Process
Unit 4

2. The Nominating Process
Unit 4, Notes 1

3. The Nominating Process
The Constitution doesn’t explain how we choose our president or presidential nominees
Political parties have developed how to do that on their own = national conventions
Party out of power holds convention first
THIS IS HOW WE CHOOSE THE NOMINEES IN EACH PARTY

4. 5 Ways nominations made in Us
Self announcement – oldest form of nominating process
Person who wants to run, simply announces it
Sometimes used by someone who failed to win regular party nomination or unhappy with party choice
Examples: Ross Perot and Arnold Schwarzenegger
Caucus – group of like minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in election
Began in colonial days
Open to all members of party

5. 5 Ways nominations, cont
Convention – Since 1830s all major party presidential nominees have been chosen by conventions
At local caucus, party members select delegates (rep.) to represent them at state convention
At state level more delegates chosen to represent party at national convention where it selects the party’s presidential nominee
Petition – candidates nominated by means of petition signed by certain # of required voters in that election district
Mostly at local level
Used for minor party or independent nomination
Usually higher office more signatures required
Direct Primary

6. Presidential Primaries
A presidential primary is an election in which
1)the party’s voters choose the states delegates to national convention
2)express a preference among the contenders for their party’s presidential nominees
Candidates for nomination campaign in each state that holds a primary hoping to win and get their names recognized
Want to build a national following
This is why first few primaries are so important
Candidates will most likely drop out by convention time if they aren’t receiving any votes in primaries

7. Primaries
Primaries force would-be presidential candidates to test their ability to win on a real election circuit
For the party out of power the primaries are usually very heated fights with many contenders = many members of the party battle for nomination
Doesn’t usually happen like that in party in power because either:
1) the president himself is running for re-election
2) the president has given support to the candidate he favors for the nomination
People in the party usually respect the president and what he wants

8. Direct Primary
Method used by most states to choose delegates to convention and to pick their candidate for election
2 basic forms of direct primary
Closed – only declared party members can vote in primary; party membership is established by registration; go to vote at primary, you can only vote on your party’s ballot
Open – any qualified voter can cast ballot; when you go to vote you are handed a ballot for each party; mark the ballot of your choice in a private voting booth
Some states have open public primaries – must ask for the ballot of the party you want to vote for
Alabama has this

9. Closed Primaries
Those in favor of closed primaries say they are good because:
Prevents a party from “raiding” the other party and nominating a weaker candidate
Makes candidates more responsive to the party and its platform
Voters have to think more because they must choose between parties in order to vote

10. Open Primaries
Those in favor of open primaries say they are good because:
Voters are not forced to make public their party preference
It does not exclude independent voters

11. Evaluation of the Primary
Voter turnout in primaries not that good
Many resent having to declare a party
Many don’t understand the importance
Costly – a candidate must have the funds to campaign for the primary and then, if they make it that far, for the general election too
Nominating happens within a party so it can cause disputes and divide the party

12. Money and Elections
Unit 4, Notes 2

13. Campaign Spending
Millions spent on campaigns - especially presidential campaigns
Money goes to signs, stickers, pamphlets, staff, office rent, mailing, travel expenses
Largest amount spend on TV time (ads)

14. Sources of funding
Draw from 2 sources – public treasury and private donations
Private givers are main source (5 categories)
1) Small contributors – usually give what they can
True believers – really giving because they believe in candidate
2) Wealthy individuals/families – do so because in their best interest
Want a favor, want business protected
3) Candidates themselves – many have lots of money
4) PACs – political action committees – political arms of special interest groups
5) Temporary organizations – formed for campaign
Parties and candidates themselves hold fundraisers – dinners etc.
Public funds – subsidies from state & federal government

15. Regulating Campaign Financing
Congress Job
Federal Election Commission (FEC) – administers laws passed by Congress about funding
Finance law not very well enforced
FEC is underfunded and understaffed
FEC supposed to regulated 4 areas
1) timely disclosure of campaign finance data
2) place limits on contributions
3) limits on expenditures
4) provide public funding for presidential election process

16. Campaigning Limits on Contributions PAC Contributions
Labor unions & corporations not allowed to donate
PAC Contributions
Labor unions & corporations can’t, but their PAC can
Over 4,000 PACs today
BIPAC – Business Industry PAC
BANKPAC – American Bankers
PACs get contributions from business leaders, labor union members, doctors, teachers
Pools money

17. Money
Have had limits on hard $ - money raised for electing candidates to office
Didn’t limit soft $ until recently – money given to party for “party building” activities

18. Presidential elections
Unit 4, Notes 3

19. Presidential Primaries
Many states hold these to choose their delegates to the national convention
A presidential primary is an election in which the party’s voters
1. Choose the states delegates to national
convention (see ch. 7.1 notes)
2. Express a preference among the
contenders for their party’s presidential
nominees

20. Presidential Primaries, Cont.
New Hampshire holds the first primary each time
Candidates for nomination campaign in each state that holds a primary hoping to win and get their names recognized – want to build a national following
This is why first few primaries are so important
Candidates will most likely drop out by convention time if they aren’t receiving any votes in primaries

21. The National Convention
After all the primaries and caucuses held, the delegates chosen, and the nominees usually narrowed down both parties hold their national conventions
Meeting at which delegates vote and pick their presidential and VP candidates

22. The National Convention, Cont.
3 major goals at convention
Name Pres. And VP candidates
Bring different groups within the party together for a common purpose – promote party unity
Adopt the party’s platform = formal statement of its basic principles, stands on major issues, etc.
Also promotes party unity and gains national attention for the party

23. First Two Days
First Two Days = used to organize and welcome the delegates = lots of speeches by various party members to fire up the crowd
2 MAIN HIGHLIGHTS
Keynote address- loud, exciting speech delivered by one of the party’s best speakers and well-known members – designed to glorify they party, its accomplishments, and speak badly of other party
Platform announced- a statement of party stands, but also very important that it appeal to as many people as possible, so its usually generalized

24. The Last Two Days
Last Two Days = first nominate VP – usually the pres. Candidate has announced already who his running mate will be, so all the convention has to do is ratify the choice
Ends with selection of the Pres. Candidate- many nominating speeches are given by party
States are then called on in alphabetical order and the chair of each state’s delegation announces how their votes cast
Counted and candidates nominated
Last day = candidates acceptance speech
Fire up crowd and generalizes what he plans to do

25. The Framers Framers decided on method of choosing the President
Didn’t want to let Congress decide
Gave them too much power
Popular vote would not work because
1) People didn’t know about candidates
2) People didn’t know about elections
3) Representation – large state population would count more

26. The Framers, Cont. Agreed to have electors from each state
Cast one vote for President and one for VP
Electors would vote based on popular vote
Within their state
Supposed to be men who were educated, knew about politics
Electoral College is the group of electors chosen from each state and DC to formally select the Pres. and VP
Plan worked okay while Washington was President
But once political parties developed it didn’t work
PROBLEMS
Candidates win same # of votes
Who is President/VP?
12th Amendment = separate ballots for them

27. The Election Presidential campaign begins right after the convention
Campaign committees work to present candidates in the best light
speeches, press conferences, debates, ads, bumper stickers, “shaking hands, and kissing babies”

28. The Electoral College Today
When you vote in presidential elections, you are not voting directly for that candidate
Instead you are voting to elect that candidates presidential electors – those who will cast your vote for him
Each state is allowed as many elector votes as it has members in Congress (senators + representatives )
AL = 9

29. The Electoral College Today, Cont.
Electors are expected to vote automatically for their party’s candidates for president and VP
Chosen on a winner-take-all basis
The candidate who wins the most votes in that state (popular vote) gets all his electors, therefore he wins all the electoral votes from that state
A candidate must win the majority of all the electoral votes in the country to become president
270 out of 538

30. Flaws in the Electoral College
The winner of the popular vote is not guaranteed the presidency
The fact that the electoral vote is on a winner-take- all basis leads to this problem
Ex: Bush won Ohio by 51% of the popular vote, but still won all 20 electoral votes, even though Kerry won over 2 million votes, he didn’t get the electoral votes
Add up enough states like this and a candidate may win the popular vote but not the electoral
Four times a candidate has won the popular vote, but not won the electoral, therefore he can’t be president

31. Flaws, Cont.
2) Electors aren’t required to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote
they are expected to vote for the popular winner, and as loyal party members they almost always do, but the constitution does not require them to

32. Flaws, Cont.
3) Possibility that the election may have to be decided by the House of Representatives
Happens if no one receives the majority of the electoral votes
A strong third party candidate would have to be in the race to take some of the electoral vote for this to happen

33. Flaws, Cont. Many people want a direct popular election
Each vote would count equally in the national result (no electoral college – direct election by the people)
Say this supports democratic ideals
The winner would always be the majority choice
Opponents point out that it would take a Constitutional amendment to change the election process and that is long and hard process
Also it would put a huge burden on the election process – because every vote would count, candidates would have to campaign strenuously in every state
hard on campaign time and money

34. Electoral College Supporters
2 Major Strengths:
It’s a known process – know it works, we don’t know if other plans, once in effect, would work
It determines a winner quickly