Chapter 7:
Elections
Nominations – the First Step
 Nomination
– the naming of
candidates who will seek office
 After candidates are nominated,
primaries follow, then the general
election
How Does a Candidate get
Nominated?
 4 Ways:
– Self Announcement
– Convention
– Caucus
– Primary
**To become a major party
nominee for president, all 4 will
be used**
V.P. NOMINATIONS
Self-Announcement
 The
candidate
simply makes an
announcement of
his/her intention
to seek public
office (could have
a friend do it, too)
Self-Announcement
 Usually
an
independent
candidate or
someone who
failed to win a
major party
nomination
Self-Announcement
 To
get your name
on the ballot
generally requires
a number of
signatures on a
petition (specifics
are set by each
state)
Convention
 Public
meeting of party activists
to energize voters and choose a
party candidate
Convention
 Used
to be the method for major
parties to choose, but the
conventions became corrupt
Convention
 Now
only used by minor parties
(like the Libertarian Party shown
below)
Caucus
 1800s
- originally a private
meeting of party leaders –
 No transparency
 The appearance of corruption led
to reforms
Caucus Today

- a public meeting of any party
members who wish to participate
and debate (Iowa)
Primary
A
public election held within a
political party to choose the party’s
nominee for office
– Open Primary – any eligible voters
may vote
– Closed Primary – only registered party
members may vote in their party’s
primary
 Most
common method today (show video)