Visual for

2. Primary election
Democrats Republicans
General Election

3. Self
Announce
Petition Caucus
Direct
Convention
Primary

4.  A person announces
they want to run for
office.
 Who uses this?
 Someone who
failed to win their
party’s nomination.

5.  A group of like-minded
people who meet to
select the candidates
they will support in an
upcoming election.
 Originally the caucus
was a private meeting
consisting of a few
influential figures in
the community.

6.  Political Parties:
 Political parties
began to broaden the
membership of the
caucus.
 Democracy:
 People criticized the
caucus for their
closed, unrepresenta
tive character.

7.  The process begins in
local caucus and works
its way up to through the
country, state and then
the national level.
 The convention system
began to come under
attack in the early 1900s
and was to be replaced
by another method.

8.  Anti-Mason Party in 1831 (1st national convention)
 Party Bosses began to manipulate the
process.

9.  A direct primary is an
intra-party election to
pick that party’s
candidate for the general
election.
 State laws require that
the major parties use the
primaries to choose
their candidates for the
Senate, House, governor
ship, etc.

10.  Party nominating
election in which
ONLY declared
party members
can vote.
 Party membership
is established by
registration.

11.  Party nominating election in which
ANY qualified voter can take part.

12.  All voters receive same ballot and can vote
for any party for any office they like.
 California’s version was ruled
Unconstitutional.

13.  Winner needs an
absolute majority
(more than 50%)
 Top 2 vote getters
in the 1st primary
“Run-Off” or face
one another in a
2nd election.

14.  These are elections in
which candidates are
not identified by
party labels.
 Typically, a contender
who wins a clear
majority runs
unopposed in the
general election.

15.  Nominating by means
of petitions signed by a
certain number of
required qualified
voters in the election
district.
 When is this method
used?
 Mostly at the local
level.

16.  Why did Congress
pass the bill?
 Election of 2000
 Some of the major
provisions of the bill:
 Replace lever-operated
and punch-card voting
devices by 2006
 Upgrade administration
of elections

17.  A voter’s eligibility
has been
challenged…but can
vote and the voter’s
qualification can be
checked or verified
later.

18.  Congress set the date
for national elections
(Tuesday after the 1st
Monday in November).
 Explanation of:
 Never on a Sunday
(Church and state)
 1st day of month is
often payday
(pressure from
employer)

19.  Some states have
allowed for early
voting in an effort
to increase voter
turnout and
make voting more
convenient.

20.  Voting by those
unable to get to their
regular polling places
on election day.
 Designed for:
1. Sick/Ill
2. Disabled
3. Away from home

21.  This occurs when a strong
candidate running for an
office at the top of the
ballot helps attract voters
to other candidates on
the party’s ticket.
 Reverse Coattail:
 Candidate at top of
ticket can HURT
other party members.

22.  Define Ballot:
 A device used to
record a voter’s
choices.
 Over the history of the
United States voting has
taken many shapes
(voice, paper ballots) and
corruption led to a demand
for ballot reforms.

23. 1. Printed at public
expense
2. Lists names of all
candidates
3. Given out only at
polls
4. Marked in secret

24.  Candidates are
grouped on this
ballot by office they
are running for.
 Sometimes called
the Massachusetts
ballot because of its
early use (1888)
there.

25.  Lists each party’s
candidates in a column
under the party’s name.
 Good: parties like
because it promotes
straight-ticket voting
 Bad: does not take
much thought in the
voting process.

26.  Can help voters
prepare for an
election.
 They are mailed in
some states and
appear in
newspapers in
others.

27.  Origin of :
 Jacksonian
Democracy in the
1830s
 More offices
meant more
democratic the
government was