1. Primaries and
Elections

2. Primary Season
Primary election: where voters choose
between candidates within one party.
General election: where voters actually
choose a candidate for office.

3. Primary Season
Primary election: where voters choose
between candidates within one party.
• Ex: Romney vs. McCain
• Ex: Obama vs. Clinton
General election: where voters actually
choose a candidate for office.
• Ex: McCain vs. Obama.

4. Primary Season
The outcomes of primaries held early in
the year greatly influence who wins in
later primaries.
As a result, candidates spend more time
and money in states with early
primaries. More states, in turn, are
scheduling their elections earlier than in
previous years.

5. Primary Season
For example, in 2004 only nine states
held primaries before February 5. In
2008 22 states held elections on or
before February 5!

7. What’s this map distorted by?

8. What’s this map distorted0.4% of the US
by?
New Hampshire
Iowa
1% of the US

9. The Primary Calendar
2008 Primaries Date
Iowa caucus January 3
Wyoming caucus (Republican only) January 5
New Hampshire January 8
“Super Tuesday” (over 20 races – whoa!) February 5
Kentucky May

10. All About Primaries…
In a closed primary, only voters who are
registered in the party can vote to choose a
candidate.

11. All About Primaries…
In a closed primary, only voters who are
registered in the party can vote to choose a
candidate.
• McCain could vote in a Republican primary
between Guiliani, Romney, and Thompson.
• Obama (as a registered Democrat) could
NOT vote.

12. All About Primaries…
In an open primary, voters can choose for a
candidate whether or not they’re
registered in the party.