The document discusses the electoral process in the United States. It covers the two main steps of nomination and general election. It then discusses the three main ways candidates can become nominated: direct primaries, conventions, and petitions. It provides details on different types of primaries and how they vary by state. The document also discusses precincts and polling places and how ballots are structured. Finally, it addresses campaign spending and the laws passed to regulate financing of elections.

1. Presentation Pro
Magruder’s
American Government
CHAPTER 7
The Electoral Process
© 2001 by Prentice Hall, Inc.

2. Go To
Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

3. A Critical First Step
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

4. A Critical First Step
In the United States, the election
process occurs in two steps:
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

5. A Critical First Step
In the United States, the election
process occurs in two steps:
1. Nomination, in which the field of candidates
is narrowed
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

6. A Critical First Step
In the United States, the election
process occurs in two steps:
1. Nomination, in which the field of candidates
is narrowed
2. General election, the regularly scheduled
election where voters make the final choice
of officeholder
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

7. Go To
Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

8. Three Ways to Nominate
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

9. Three Ways to Nominate
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

11. The Direct Primary
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

12. The Direct Primary
Types of Direct
Primaries
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

13. The Direct Primary
Types of Direct
Primaries
Closed
Primary
Only declared
party members
can vote.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

14. The Direct Primary
Types of Direct
Primaries
Closed Open
Primary Primary
Only declared Any qualified
party members voter can take
can vote. part.
Blanket Primary
Qualified voters can
vote for any
candidate,
regardless of party
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

15. The Direct Primary
Types of Direct
Primaries
Closed Open Runoff Primary
Primary Primary
If a required majority
Only declared Any qualified is not met, the two
party members voter can take people with the most
can vote. part. votes run again
Blanket Primary
Qualified voters can
vote for any
candidate,
regardless of party
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

16. The Direct Primary
Types of Direct
Primaries
Closed Open Runoff Primary Nonpartisan
Primary Primary Primary
If a required majority
Only declared Any qualified is not met, the two Candidates are not
party members voter can take people with the most identified by party
can vote. part. votes run again labels
Blanket Primary
Qualified voters can
vote for any
candidate,
regardless of party
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

17. Go To
Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

18. Primaries Across the United States
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19. Primaries Across the United States
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

21. Petition
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

22. Petition
• Candidates must gather a required number of
voters’ signatures to get on the ballot by means of
petition.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

23. Petition
• Candidates must gather a required number of
voters’ signatures to get on the ballot by means of
petition.
• Minor party and independent candidates are
usually required by State law to be nominated by
petition.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

24. Petition
• Candidates must gather a required number of
voters’ signatures to get on the ballot by means of
petition.
• Minor party and independent candidates are
usually required by State law to be nominated by
petition.
• Petition is often used at the local level to nominate
for school posts and municipal offices.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 1

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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

26. Precincts and Polling Places
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

27. Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

28. Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts
• A precinct is a voting
district.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

29. Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts
• A precinct is a voting
district.
• Precincts are the
smallest geographic
units used to carry out
elections.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

30. Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts
• A precinct is a voting
district.
• Precincts are the
smallest geographic
units used to carry out
elections.
• A precinct election board
supervises the voting
process in each precinct.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

31. Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts Polling Places
• A precinct is a voting
district.
• Precincts are the
smallest geographic
units used to carry out
elections.
• A precinct election board
supervises the voting
process in each precinct.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

32. Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts Polling Places
• A precinct is a voting • A polling place is where
district. the voters who live in a
precinct go to vote.
• Precincts are the
smallest geographic
units used to carry out
elections.
• A precinct election board
supervises the voting
process in each precinct.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

33. Precincts and Polling Places
Precincts Polling Places
• A precinct is a voting • A polling place is where
district. the voters who live in a
precinct go to vote.
• Precincts are the
• It is located in or near
smallest geographic each precinct. Polling
units used to carry out places are supposed to
be located conveniently
elections. for voters.
• A precinct election board
supervises the voting
process in each precinct.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

35. Office-Group and Party-Column Ballots
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

36. Office-Group and Party-Column Ballots
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 2

37. Go To
Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

38. Campaign Spending
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

39. Campaign Spending
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

40. Go To
Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

41. Regulating Campaign Financing
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

42. Regulating Campaign Financing
• Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, but feebly
enforced.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

43. Regulating Campaign Financing
• Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, but feebly
enforced.
• The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 was passed to
replaced the former, ineffective legislation.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

44. Regulating Campaign Financing
• Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, but feebly
enforced.
• The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 was passed to
replaced the former, ineffective legislation.
• The FECA Amendments of 1974 were passed in response to the
Watergate scandal.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

45. Regulating Campaign Financing
• Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, but feebly
enforced.
• The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 was passed to
replaced the former, ineffective legislation.
• The FECA Amendments of 1974 were passed in response to the
Watergate scandal.
• Buckley v. Valeo invalidated some of the measures in the FECA
Amendments of 1974. Most significantly, it also stipulated that
several of the limits that the 1974 amendments placed on spending
only apply to candidates who accept campaign money from the
government, not those who raise money independently.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

46. Regulating Campaign Financing
• Early campaign regulations were created in 1907, but feebly
enforced.
• The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 was passed to
replaced the former, ineffective legislation.
• The FECA Amendments of 1974 were passed in response to the
Watergate scandal.
• Buckley v. Valeo invalidated some of the measures in the FECA
Amendments of 1974. Most significantly, it also stipulated that
several of the limits that the 1974 amendments placed on spending
only apply to candidates who accept campaign money from the
government, not those who raise money independently.
• The FECA Amendments of 1976 were passed in response to Buckley
v. Valeo.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

47. Go To
Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

48. The Federal Election Commission
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

49. The Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC)
enforces:
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

50. The Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC)
enforces:
• the timely disclosure of campaign finance
information
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

51. The Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC)
enforces:
• the timely disclosure of campaign finance
information
• limits on campaign contributions
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

52. The Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC)
enforces:
• the timely disclosure of campaign finance
information
• limits on campaign contributions
• limits on campaign expenditures
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

53. The Federal Election Commission
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
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

54. Go To
Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

55. Loopholes in the Law
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

56. Loopholes in the Law
“More loophole than law…” —Lyndon Johnson
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

57. Loopholes in the Law
“More loophole than law…” —Lyndon Johnson
• Soft money—money given to State and local party
organizations for “party-building activities” that is filtered to
presidential or congressional campaigns. $500 million was
given to campaigns in this way in 2000.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

58. Loopholes in the Law
“More loophole than law…” —Lyndon Johnson
• Soft money—money given to State and local party
organizations for “party-building activities” that is filtered to
presidential or congressional campaigns. $500 million was
given to campaigns in this way in 2000.
• 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.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3

59. Loopholes in the Law
“More loophole than law…” —Lyndon Johnson
• Soft money—money given to State and local party
organizations for “party-building activities” that is filtered to
presidential or congressional campaigns. $500 million was
given to campaigns in this way in 2000.
• 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.
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Section: 1 2 3 Chapter 7, Section 3