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States control election procedures (reserved
power)
Help America Vote Act (2002): requires states
to update the election process
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Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November
during even # years.
Midterm elections occur during years when
the president isn’t elected
◦ Governors, House, Senate
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFqln0eyyHM
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House – 2 year terms
Senate – 6 year terms  continuous body,
which means 1/3 up for election every 2
years
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Primaries: contest between candidates within
a party
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Closed – only those registered with the party
can vote
Open – anyone can vote for either party, no
affiliation necessary; must choose which party
ballot at the poll
Blanket – choose candidates from any party,
don’t have to choose one party (Alaska and
Washington only)
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If no candidate gets majority in the primary,
then the top 2 face off in another primary.
◦ Example: 2014 GA Senatorial Race; David Perdue
and Jack Kingston were top 2 Republican candidates
from primary  Perdue won runoff election, so he
went up against Michelle Nunn in general election)
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Georgia has open primaries, but you can only
vote in a runoff for the party you originally
voted for.
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Contests between candidates of opposing
parties
Once a party chooses the candidate in a
primary, each state holds a general election
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ONLY AT STATE/LOCAL LEVEL:
◦ Recall – citizens can remove a corrupt official
◦ Referendum – people vote on a measure passed by
legislature
◦ Initiative – people can get proposed legislation
directly on the ballot