Elections
The Big Idea
The detailed procedures that govern the casting
of votes for elected officials help ensure a
democratic way of life
• elections are largely governed by State law
• aspects of national elections such as dates are governed
by federal law
• voting takes place in voting districts called precincts
• within the precincts, voters cast their votes at polling
places
• a ballot is used to register a person’s votes
• most states use a form of the Australian ballot--either
an office-group ballot or a party-column ballot
Elections
• National
Elections
are
held:
A Democratic Government
• November of every even number year
succeed unless we
• cannot
The Tuesday-after-the-first-Monday
have
free,
honest
and on a Sunday or on
• This
insures
election
day is never
the first
day of theelections
month
accurate
Absentee voting
• Voting by those unable to get to their regular
polling places on election day
• 3 reasons you are allowed to vote absentee
• too ill or disabled
• expect to be away from home for whatever
reasons
• military service
Precinct
•
•
•
•
Voting Districts
Smallest geographic units for the conduct of elections
they deal with the polling places where people go to vote
poll watchers:
• They can challenge anyone they don’t believe is a qualified
voter
• monitor the process
• handout sample ballots
Australian Ballot
• Started in Australia and toay all states in the US
use it
• 4 features
• printed at public expense
• lists the names of all candidates in an election
• given out only at the polls
• one to each qualified voter
• Marked in Secret
Money and election
• SO MUCH MONEY
• is spent on elections
• Where does that money come from???
• 2 major forms
• Public and Private
• Spending in 2012
Private Contributions
• Small contributors: those that give small amounts
• this has been a major development over the years
• Wealthy Individuals: Large donations
• Candidates: give their own money
• Perot the most: 65 million
• Nonparty Groups: are given donations from their supporters
• PAC: Political Action Committees
• Special interest groups
• Temporary organizations:
• groups formed for the campaigns
• Fund raisers
Super PAC
• These groups do not directly give the candidates money
• HOWEVER: they are able to spend unlimited amounts of money to
support the candidate in the form of adds, publications, and even
movies
• Citizen’s United Case
• Prior to this ruling there were limits on how much money
corporations could give to candidates
• Corporate free speech is the same as individual free speech.
FEC
• Federal Election Committee
• Deals with all federal laws dealing with campaign finance
• Laws cover 4 broad areas
•
•
•
•
timely disclosure of campaign finance data
places limits on campaign contributions
places limits on campaign expenditures
provides public funding
• everyone has to disclose where their money is going and
where they are getting it
• keeps everyone honest
Limits on Contributions
• Today no person can give more than 2000 to federal primary
election or general election
• 5000 to PAC
• 25,000 to National Pary committee
• Hard money
• money raised and spent to elect candidates for Congress and WHite
House
• Limited
• Soft Money
• money given to party organization for stuff like voter registartion
• no limits until 2002