Chapter Seven

1. Chapter Seven The Electoral Process

2. The Nominating Process Process of candidate selection; naming those who will seek office Those who make nominations place limits on choices that voters can make in an election Ways in which nominations are made: • Self-Announcement • The Caucus: group of like-minded people who meet to select the candidates they will support in upcoming election; used more often at local level • The Convention: different levels of delegate selection; corruption over time • Petition: used mostly at local level; some states use for minor/third party candidates

3. 5. The Direct Primary An intra-party election – held within a party to pick party’s candidates for general election • Closed primary: only declared party members can vote • Open primary: any qualified voter can cast a ballot • Runoff primary: ten states require absolute majority (rather than plurality) to carry primary; if no one wins, runoff primary between top two vote-getters • Nonpartisan primary • Presidential primary: choice of delegates or candidate preference

4. Administration of Elections • Extent of federal control • Congress has the power to fix “[t]he Times, Places, and Manners of holding Elections” of members of Congress • As well as power to choose presidential electors, set date for casting electoral votes, regulate other aspects of presidential election process • Secret ballots and voting machines in federal elections • Protect the right to vote: Help America Vote Act 2002 • Date set to avoid Sundays and first day of the month – “Tuesday after the first Monday” • Early and absentee voting • Coattail Effect

5. Precincts, Polling Places, Casting the Ballot • Precinct: voting district • Polling place: place where the voters who live in a precinct actually vote • Ballot: device by which voter registers a choice in an election • Australian • Office-Group • Party-Column • Sample • Bedsheet • Automated voting • Lever • Electronic Data Processing • Vote-by-mail • Online voting