Chapter 7 “The Electoral
Process”
Section 1: The Nominating
Process
I. The Importance of
Nominations
A.Nomination
1. The naming of those
who will seek office
2. General Elections
a. Regularly
scheduled
elections at which
voters make the
final selection of
office holders
b. In dictatorial
regimes, these are
often fixed
B. Ways nominations are
made
1. Self-announcement
2. The Caucus
a. A group of likeminded persons
who meet to select
the candidates
they will support
in an upcoming
election.
b. Party caucuses
today
3. The Convention
4. The Direct Primary
a. An election held
within the party to
pick the party’s
candidates for the
general election
b. Closed Primary
1) A party
nominating
election in
which only
declared party
members can
vote
c. Open Primary
1) A party
nominating
election in
which any
qualified voter
can take part
2) Blanket
Primary – wide
open primary,
ballot lists every
contender for
every
nomination in
both parties
d. The Closed vs.
The Open
Primary
The closed
primary:
1) Prevents one
party from raiding
the other’s primary
2) Helps make
candidates
more responsive
to the party, its
platform, and
members
3) Helps make
voters more
thoughtful
Critics say it:
1) Compromises
the secrecy of
the ballot
2) Tends to
exclude
independent
voters from the
partisan
nomination
process
Opponents of the
open primary say
it:
1) Permits
primary raiding
2) Undercuts the
concepts of
party loyalty
and
responsibility
e. The Runoff
primary
1) The two top
vote-getters in
the first direct
primary face
one another,
and the winner
of that vote
becomes the
nominee
f. The Nonpartisan
Primary
1) No party
affiliation is
necessary nor
disclosed
2) School Board
elections,
municipal officials
g. Evaluation of the
Primary
1) A large number
of voters does
not see the
importance of
the nominating
process
2) Turnouts are
often low
h. The Presidential
Primary
1) Voters can vote
their preference for
nomination
2) Vote for
delegates to the
national
convention
5. Nomination by
Petition
a. Candidates for
public office are
nominated by
petitions signed by
a certain number
of qualified voters
in the election
district
Section 2:
Elections
I.
The Administration of Elections
A.
The Extent of Federal Control
1.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to fix “the times,
places, and manner of holding elections” of members of Congress
2.
Congress also has the power to set the time for choosing
presidential electors, to set the date for casting electoral votes, and
to regulate other aspects of the presidential election process
3.
Congressional elections are set for the first Tuesday following the
first Monday in November of every even numbered year. It is
every fourth year for presidential elections
4.
All other matters are handled by the states
B.
When Elections Are Held
1.
Most states hold their elections to coincide with the national
elections
C.
The Coattail Effect
1.
Occurs when a strong candidate running for an office at the top of
the ballot helps attract voters to other candidates on the party’s
ticket
2.
This could work in reverse as well
II.
Precincts and Polling Places
A.
Precinct
1.
A voting district
B.
Polling Place
1.
Where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote
III.
The Ballot
A.
The ballot is the device by which a voter registers a choice in an election
1.
Can be paper, punch cards, or electronic
B.
Types of ballots
1.
The Australian Ballot
a.
It is printed at public expense
b.
It lists the names of all candidates in an election
c.
It is given out only at the polls
d.
It is voted in secret
2.
The Office-Group Ballot
a.
The candidates for each office are grouped together
3.
The Party-Column Ballot
a.
It lists each party’s candidates in a column under the
party’s name
4.
5.
IV.
Voting Machines and Innovations
A.
The days of voting machines may rapidly be fading
B.
Electronic Vote Counting
1.
Scans punch card ballots
2.
Much quicker than counting by hand
C.
Vote by Mail Elections
1.
Can be done if the voter is going to be gone on election day, must
be applied for in advance
Section 3:
I.
II.
III.
Sample Ballots
a.
Available in most states (in newspapers or at the polling
place the day of the election)
The Long and the Short of It
a.
Some ballots, especially in presidential election years, can
be quite long. Make sure you address all parts of the ballot
to complete it
Money and the Election Process
Campaign Spending Amounts
A.
Candidates for political office, especially the President, spend incredible
amounts of money (pg 174)
1.
Radio and Television advertisements have increased the cost
greatly, but they provide exposure to a wide audience
2.
Other campaign costs include travel, mailings, posters, buttons,
bumper stickers, etc.
Sources of Campaign Funding
A.
Private Givers
1.
Small Contributors ($5 - $10)
2.
Wealthier persons and families
a.
Often friends of the candidates
3.
The candidates themselves
a.
Can a poor person seek a high level public office?
4.
Political Action Committees
a.
Interest groups that represent a particular issue in which the
candidate may address for them
5.
Temporary Organization
a.
Groups formed for the immediate purposes of a campaign,
including fund raising
B.
Why People Give
1.
A form of political participation
2.
Belief in party or candidate
3.
Gain access to the government
4.
Social recognition
Regulating Campaign Finance
A.
The Federal Election Commission
1.
2.
An independent agency in the executive branch
Commission enforces laws dealing with:
a.
Timely disclosure of campaign finance data
b.
Place limits on campaign contributions
c.
Place limits on campaign expenditures
d.
Provide public funding for several parts of the presidential
election process
B.
Disclosure Requirements
1.
Must be very detailed
2.
No person or group can make a contribution in the name of another
3.
Cash gifts of more than $100 are prohibited
4.
All advertisements must carry the name of the person or groups
that sponsor them
5.
All contributions to a candidate for federal office must be made
through a single campaign committee
6.
All expenditures must be accounted for
7.
Neither corporations nor labor unions can themselves make
contributions to federal candidates
8.
Many other restrictions as well
C.
The Role of PACs
1.
Page 177 shows some of the major PACs today and their
contributions
D.
Limits on Contributions
1.
No person can give more than $1000 to any federal candidate in a
primary election or in a general election campaign
2.
No single person can give more than $5000 a year to a PAC or
$20,000 to a national party committee
E.
Limits on Expenditures
1.
For 2000, no major party contender could spend more than about
$40 million in the preconvention period
2.
After the conventions, the two major party campaigns could spend
$67 million, of which $13.5 million could come from the party’s
national committee
F.
Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns
1.
Revenue Act of 1971
a.
Set up the Presidential Election Campaign Fund
1.
Every person who files a federal income tax return
can check off three dollars of his/her tax payment to
the fund
2.
The monies in the fund are used every four years to
finance:
The preconvention campaigns
National Conventions
Presidential election campaigns
G.
Preconventional Period
1.
H.
I.
To qualify for public funds, a presidential hopeful must raise
$100,000 in contributions from individuals. That money must be
gathered in $5000 lots from at least 20 states.
National Conventions
1.
The FEC gives each party about $14 million for its convention
Presidential Campaigns
1.
In 2000, the federal subsidy to each major party candidate is about
$67 million
2.
If the candidate takes the money, he/she:
a.
could spend no more than the amount of the subsidy
b.
could not accept campaign funds from any other source
3.
A minor party could get subsidy, but he/she must
a.
have won at least five percent of the popular vote in the last
presidential election
b.
win at least that much of the vote in the election (Perot in
1996 – 19%)