the electoral process. 1.self-announcement (incl. all write-ins) 2.the caucus – private meetings...
TRANSCRIPT
Ch. 7The Electoral
Process
Five Methods of Nomination
1. Self-Announcement (incl. all write-ins)
2. The Caucus – private meetings of local bigwigs that used to choose candidates. Rarely used today.
3. Conventions – local districts select delegates to represent them at a nat’l meeting where delegate is chosen.
4. The Direct Primary-An intra-party election to pick that party’s candidate
Nonpartisan Primary
Candidates are not identified by party labels
Runoff Primary
If no one gets a majority, the two people with the most votes run again
Closed Primary
Only declared party members can vote.
Open Primary
Any qualified voter can take part.
Blanket Primary
Qualified voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of party
Primaries Across the United States
5. Petition
Candidates gather a required number of voters’ signatures to get on the ballot
The Administration of Elections
But, Congress sets the logistics:
CONGRESS SETS THE DATE:Congressional Elections-first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of every even-numbered year for congressional elections
Presidential election –same day every fourth year
Primarily a STATE power (why?)
CONGRESS TRIES TO INSURE FAIRNESS
1. Help America Vote Act of 2002 required States to: -Replace all lever-operated and punch-card voting devices by 2006 (most missed the deadline)
-Provide better training for local election officials and volunteers
-Centralize/computerize voter registration
-Provide for provisional voting for those whose eligibility is temporarily challenged
2. Congress started ABSENTEE VOTINGIt spread to states. Now, there’s even EARLY
VOTING.
Coattail and Reverse Coattail
Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts A precinct is a
voting district.
Polling Places A polling place is
where the voters who live in a precinct go to vote.
It is located in or near each precinct.
Casting the Ballot
We use the Australian Ballot:1) Provided at public expense2) Lists candidates 3) Given out only at polls, one per voter4) Can be marked in secret
Sample Ballots are often provided
Bedsheet Ballots are often used, despite the risk of ballot fatigue
Office-Group Ballots are used by most; a few use Party-Column ones
Office-Groupand Party-Column Ballots
Campaign Spending
Sources of Funding
Small contributors
Wealthy supporters
Nonparty groups such as PACs
Temporary fund-raising organizationsCandidate
sGovernment subsidies
Private and Public Sources of Campaign Money
Regulating Campaign Financing
1907 – No Corp or Nat’l Bank can fund campaigns
1970s: Buckley v. Valeo invalidated some of the measures in the FECA Amendments of 1974, stipulating that the limits on spending only apply to candidates who accept campaign money from the government, not those who raise money independently.
Citizens United v. FEC (2010)
Gov. ban on political spending by corp. or labor unions violates 1st Amendmen right to free speech.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces:
the timely disclosure of campaign finance information
limits on campaign contributions
limits on campaign expenditures
provisions for public funding of presidential campaigns
Loopholes in the Law Soft money—money given to State and local party
organizations for “party-building activities” that is filtered to presidential or congressional campaigns
Independent campaign spending—a person unrelated and unconnected to a candidate or party can spend as much money as they want to benefit or work against candidates.
Issue ads—take a stand on certain issues in order to criticize or support a certain candidate without actually mentioning that person’s name.