The Electoral Process
Magruder Chapter Seven
The Nominating Process
The Importance of Nominations
The nominating process is important
because the United States has a strong twoparty system, which means that there are
usually only two viable candidates for any
office
 There are five major ways in which
nominations can be made

Self-Announcement
Self-announcement is the oldest form of the
nominating process
 It is often used by people running in small
towns or rural areas
 It is also used by people at higher levels
who fail to get their party’s nomination or
are unhappy with its choice

The Caucus
A caucus is a group of like-minded people
that meets to select the candidates it will
support in an upcoming election
 Early caucuses were private meetings made
up of a few influential figures
 Caucuses are still used to make local
nominations in some areas, but they are
now open to all members of a party

The Convention
Nominating conventions were first used in
the 1830s and quickly caught on as the only
way to select presidential candidates
 In each local area, party members elect
delegates to represent them at county
conventions; county conventions elect
delegates to State conventions;

The Convention
State conventions elect delegates to the
national convention who select the party’s
presidential and vice-presidential nominees
 The process was corrupted by party bosses
and fell out of favor in the late 1800s

The Direct Primary
The direct primary is an election held within
a party to pick the party’s candidates for the
general election
 The Closed Primary – in a closed primary
only declared party members can vote to
decide which candidate the party will
support

The Direct Primary
The Open Primary – in an open primary any
qualified voter may vote to decide which
candidate a party will support
 The Closed vs. the Open Primary –
Americans make strong arguments for and
against both types of primary

The Direct Primary

The Runoff Primary – in States that demand
that the winning candidate of each party
holds an absolute majority of that party’s
votes, runoff primaries are held in which
voters must choose between the two top
vote-getters
The Direct Primary
The Nonpartisan Primary – most school and
municipal officials and, often, State judges,
are chosen from ballots that do not identify
candidates by party affiliation
 Evaluation of the Primary – Primaries are
costly and divisive and many voters neither
recognize their importance nor inform
themselves sufficiently to make wise
choices

The Direct Primary

The Presidential Primary – in these
elections, voters declare their preference for
a particular candidate and/or elect delegates
to a party’s national convention
Nomination by Petition
At the local level, this process is commonly
used for nonpartisan posts
 In some States, election laws require that
minor-party or independent candidates get a
certain number of signatures before they are
put on the ballot

Elections
The Administration of Elections
The Extent of Federal Control
 Most election law is State law
 Congress sets the time, place, and manner
of congressional elections
 It has also passed laws designed to protect
the right to vote and prevent election fraud

The Administration of Elections
When Elections are Held
 Most States hold elections for State offices
in November of every even-numbered year
 Some States hold certain elections at other
times, usually in the spring

The Administration of Elections
The Coattail Effect
 A popular candidates at the top of the ticket
helps other candidates form the same party
 Some argue that State and local elections
should be held at different times than
presidential elections in order to lessen this
“coattail effect”

Precincts and Polling Places
State law restricts the population size of
voting districts, or precincts
 Precinct election boards ensure that
elections are held in an orderly manner, and
each political party sends poll watchers to
watch for election fraud

The Ballot
The Australian Ballot – this secret ballot,
printed at public expense and given out only
at polling places, was a reform introduced
in the late 1800s
 The Office-Group Ballot – this form of the
Australian ballot groups candidates for each
office together

The Ballot
The Party-Column Ballot – this form of the
Australian ballot lists each party’s
candidates in a column under the party’s
name
 Sample Ballots – clearly marked sample
ballots are mailed to voters in many States
and appear in newspapers to help the voters
prepare for an election

The Ballot

The Long and Short of It – traditionally,
Americans prefer to elect, rather than
appoint, large numbers of local officials on
the theory that the greater the number of
elected officials, the more democratic the
government
Voting Machines and Innovations
Invented by Thomas Edison, voting
machines were first used in 1892
 Electronic Vote Counting – Electronic data
processing techniques are now in use in
many States
 Vote-by-Mail elections – mail-in ballots are
allowed in some local elections, and on at
least one occasion, in elections for national
office as well

Money and the Election Process
Campaign Spending Amounts
Observers estimate that about $750 million
was spent on the 1996 presidential election
 Money is used for many purposes – staff
and office costs, polling, television time,
and so forth

Sources of Campaign Funding
Private Givers – the candidates themselves,
individual citizens, PACs, and temporary
campaign organizations all contribute
money to political campaigns
 Why People Give – Some give to support
candidates and policies they believe in;
others want access to government in return
for their financial support

Regulating Campaign Finance

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) –
the FEC is an independent agency whose
members set limits on campaign
contributions and spending, require prompt
disclosure of campaign finance data, and
administer public funds for part of the
presidential election process
Regulating Campaign Finance
Disclosure Requirements – Strict laws
govern who can contribute to political
campaigns, how much each person can
give, and how campaign funds may be spent
 The Role of PACs – PACs, which have
grown rapidly in recent years, may
contribute up to $5,000 to any presidential
candidate

Regulating Campaign Finance
Limits on Contributions – Federal law
limits contributions by individuals, unions,
national banks, and corporations
 Limits on Expenditures – Federal law limits
spending in presidential campaigns
 Public Funding of Presidential Campaigns –
Monies for public funding of campaigns are
contributed by individual citizens at
income-tax time

Regulating Campaign Finance
Preconvention Period – The FEC provides
public funds to candidates by matching
private, individual contributions
 National Conventions – Each party
automatically receives a grant of public
funds to pay for its national convention
 Presidential Campaigns – Major-Party
nominees automatically qualify for a public
subsidy to cover campaign costs
