Election Campaigns
1st Period Quiz
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Name the three types of elections other
than the Presidential Election that are
mentioned in this section.
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Name the three major steps in Presidential
Elections
What is the electoral college?
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Types of Elections
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General
Primary
Special
Primary Elections
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Primary elections are held to narrow the
field of candidates in an election.
General Elections
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General elections are held on the first
Tuesday in November.
This year the date is November 6th.
General elections can include Presidential
Elections, State Elections, Congressional
Elections, and Local Elections.
Special Elections
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Special elections are elections that are held
outside of the normal election season.
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Special Elections can involve the replacement of a
candidate or person in office due to their death or
resignation.
Runoff elections are elections that are held when
voting is tied in an election.
Recall elections are held to recall an official from
office. (California 2000)
“We want you to run for
president….”
Presidential Elections
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Presidential Elections have three major
steps:
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Nomination
Campaigns
The Vote
The Nomination
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Generally, party presidential candidates
are nominated at their respective National
Conventions.
National Conventions are held during the
summer months of Presidential Election
years.
They generally kick off the campaign
season*
Campaigns
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Presidential Campaigns usually are in full swing
by September during election years.
However, campaigning does begin years in
advance by some candidates.*
Political Ads appear in media outlets
(Newspapers, TV, Radio)
Campaign stops include town hall meetings,
debates, parades, news conferences
The Vote/Electoral College
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Remember presidents are not elected by
popular votes, rather by the Electoral
College.
The Electoral College is the group of
electors that elects the President.
There is a slate or list of electors that are
pledged to each candidate.
Electoral College
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The Candidate that wins the popular vote
in a state usually receives all of the state’s
electoral votes. (winner-take all)
There are 538 Electoral Votes up for grabs
during Election night.
538 Formula
100 Senators
435 House of Representatives
3 Votes from DC
= 538 Votes in the Electoral College
*Remember 270 are needed to win the
presidency!
So here’s the debate:
Should we do away with the electoral
college?
2 Volunteers from each class will be asked
to debate this issue in front of your
classmates.
Tip O’Neill
“There are four parts to any campaign. The
candidate, the issues…, the campaign
organization and the money. Without
money you can forget the other three.”
Show me the Money…Campaign
Funding
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Once candidates are nominated they
spend weeks and months campaigning for
elections.
They cost money.
The purpose of campaigns is to convince
the public to vote for a particular
candidate.
Finance Controls
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In 1971, Congress passed the Federal
Election Campaign Finance Act of 1971
and it’s amendments in 1974 ad 1979.
This act establishes the rule of campaign
finance today.
Campaign Funds: Just where
does the money come from?
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Campaign Money comes from both public
and private funds.
Campaign Workers-The Heart
and Soul of Campaigns
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Campaign workers work hard on
campaigns to make their candidate’s
name be heard.
They must acquaint voters with the issues,
the name of the candidate and to trust
their candidate.
They use several techniques in order to
accomplish this.
The Methods
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Canvassing
Endorsements
Advertising and Image Molding
Canvassing
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When candidates or campaign workers
travel through neighborhoods asking for
votes, or taking public opinion polls.
City Candidates or local candidates often
go door to door.
Endorsements
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When a famous and popular person
supports or campaigns for a president.
Endorsements are a type of propaganda
technique used frequently on the
campaign trail
Propaganda Techniques
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There are several types of propaganda
techniques used on campaign trails.
They include
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Endorsements
Stacked Cards
Name Calling
Glittering Generality
Propaganda
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Symbols
Just Plain Folk
The Bandwagon
Endorsements
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The idea behind endorsements is that if
people admire the person endorsing a
campaign or produced they will support
them.
Stacked-Cards
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Also known as Card stacking
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Is used to present one side of an issue and it
often distorts the facts.
Name-Calling
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An attempt to turn people against an
opponent or an idea.
They label the person in a negative and
often demeaning way.
Glittering Generality
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A statement that sounds good but is
meaningless.
In simple terms it is a “lie”
Symbols
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Political candidates and interest groups
use and misuse symbols when appealing
to the public.
Just Plain Folks
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The idea behind the plain-folks appeal is
to make people think that the candidate is
just like them.
The Bandwagon
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This technique appeals to the desire to be
on the winning team, to be number one.
3rd Period for Friday
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For Friday,
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After lunch we will have a debate over current
issues that will be on the forefront of the 2008
Election.
The issues that we will debate in class are
Energy, Welfare, Health Care, Social Security,
Homeland Security, Jobs and Job Security,
and Education