1. Chapter 7 – The Electoral Process

2. Election Process
In the United States, the election process occurs in two steps:
1. Nomination, in which the field of candidates is narrowed
2. General election, the regularly scheduled election where voters make the final choice of officeholder

3. Nominations

4. Four Ways to Nominate
1. Self-Announcement – A person who wants to run for office announces their candidacy (usually found in small towns/rural areas)

5. Four Ways to Nominate
1. The Caucus – Originally a private meeting of local bigwigs, the caucus as a nominating device fell out of favor in the 1820s.

6. Four Ways to Nominate
The Convention – Considered more democratic than the caucus, convention delegates were selected to represent the people’s wishes. Party bosses soon found ways to manipulate the system, however, and the convention system was on its way out by the early 1900s.

7. Four Ways to Nominate Direct Primary
Closed Primary – Only registered party members may vote
Open Primary – Any qualified voter may take part

8. Getting Elected
The road to the White House consists of 2 separate races
Primary elections and caucuses leading to party nomination
The general election
Each requires a different strategy

9. Getting Elected
Primaries – appeal to party activists and the more ideologically motivated primary voters in key states
General election – appeal to the less partisan, more ideologically moderate general election voters

10. Types of Primaries

11. The Administration of Elections
Elections are primarily regulated by State law, but there are some overreaching federal regulations.

12. The Administration of Elections
Congress
Congress has the power to set the time, place, and manner of congressional and presidential elections.
Congress has chosen the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year for congressional elections, with the presidential election being held the same day every fourth year.

13. The Administration of Elections
States
States determine the details of the election of thousands of State and local officials.
Most States provide for absentee voting, for voters who are unable to get to their regular polling places on election day. Most States have started to allow voting a few days before election day to increase voter participation.

14. Precincts and Polling Places
A precinct is a voting district
A polling place is where the people who live in a precinct go to vote

15. Casting the Ballot Voting was initially done orally
In the late 1800s, ballot reforms cleaned up ballot fraud by supplying standardized, accurate ballots and mandating that voting be secret

17. Campaign Spending It takes money to be elected!
Average winner of the Senate spent $8 Million in 2000
Average winner of the House spent $900,000 in 2000
Over $600 Million was spent in the Presidential race of 2000

18. Campaign Spending

19. Sources of Funding Small contributors Wealthy supporters Candidates
Temporary fund-raising organizations
Nonparty groups such as PACs (Political Action Committees)
Government subsidies

20. Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Administers all federal law dealing with campaign finance:
the timely disclosure of campaign finance information
limits on campaign contributions
limits on campaign expenditures
provisions for public funding of presidential campaigns

21. Political Action Committees (PAC)
Political Arms of special–interest groups
Business, labor, professional, cause, and other organizations

22. Loopholes in the Law
Soft money — money given to State and local party organizations for “party-building activities” that is filtered to presidential or congressional campaigns. $500 million was given to campaigns in this way in 2000.
Independent campaign spending — a person unrelated and unconnected to a candidate or party can spend as much money as they want to benefit or work against candidates.
Issue ads — take a stand on certain issues in order to criticize or support a certain candidate without actually mentioning that person’s name.

23. Get out a sheet of paper and write your name at the top!!!
QUIZ
Get out a sheet of paper and write your name at the top!!!

24. 1. What are the 2 steps of the election process in the United States?
2. What are the 4 ways to nominate candidates?
3. Who has the power to set the time, place, and manner of elections?
4. What does the Federal Election Commission do?
5. What are Political Action Committees?