Local, State, National
The nomination process-two
party system
Self-announcement
 Individuals that state they are running for a particular office
○ Example upcoming presidential election, prominent
democrats will “announce” that they are running for office of
president– maybe Hillary Clinton
 Caucus-started during colonial times
 Group of similarly minded people that meet to select the
candidates that they will support in upcoming election
○ Legislative caucus- a meeting of a party’s members in the
State legislature
○ Ended by 1824 (King Caucus-derogatory tag given to the use
of caucus by the party—Andrew Jackson
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Convention replaces caucus
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Convention
 First convention held in 1831- replaced by direct primary in
1910’s (Progressive era)
 How it works
○ Party’s members meet in a local caucus to pick candidates for
local office, at same time select delegates to represent them
at county convention
Nominees selected for local representatives, mayor,
sheriff
○ At county convention delegates nomination candidates for
state convention
 County offices, supervisor, county tax collector
○ At state convention delegates sent to national convention
 Party nominates candidate for governor, and other state
offices
○ At national convention
 Delegates select their choice for president and vice
Nomination process (cont)

Direct primary
 An intra-party election –so Democrats and
Republicans both hold one
 Held within a party to select that party’s
candidates for the general election
 Most State law requires major party US
primary to choose their candidates for US
Senate and House of Reps.
Types of Primaries

Primaries (an election that narrows the field of
candidates before a general election)
 Closed (24 states follow this today)
○ Only those who register in advance can vote for party
nominees--- encourages party loyalty
 Open (26 states use this)
○ Voters (on ELECTION DAY) can decide whether they
want the Democratic or Republican candidate
 Blanket (up to 2000, 3 states used this –declared
unconstitutional in CA-violation of 1st and 14th
amendments)
○ The most “anti”party of all primaries
○ Voters get a list of candidates from all parties and are
allowed to pick some Democrats, some Republicans,
some minor parties
Non-partisan elections
School boards
 Municipal offices
 ½ state judges
 All still have to participate in a nonpartisan primary

 the candidate with clear majority either runs
as unopposed in general election or is
declared the winner (elected)
Presidential primary and petition

Presidential primary
 Not a nominating device
 An election that is held as part of process by which presidential
candidates are chosen
○ Winners of state primaries decide their proportional
representation by delegate/most states are NOT winner take all
in presidential primary
○ each state sends their delegates to each party’s national
convention to choose their presidential candidate
○ national convention roll call vote

Petition
 Used most often at local level
○ Nonpartisan school board positions, municipal offices of medium
sized cities
 Nominations occur by petition
○ State to state, specific number of qualified voters
Elections
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Federal control
Election Day
Early Voting
Precincts/Polling Places
The Ballot
Automated voting
Electronic counting
Vote-by-mail elections
Online voting
Money and Elections