Section 4—Nominating Presidential Candidates Today

1. Section 4—Nominating Presidential Candidates Today Constitution does not provide a method of selecting candidates, because didn’t foresee parties. A number of methods have been used over the years. Congressional Caucus—1800-1824. Both parties congressional delegations met and chose a candidate. Was objected to because not democratic.

2. Conventions A big meeting at which delegates from each state vote to determine who the nominee will be. Mostly governed by party rules and a few state laws effecting the selecting of delegates. Summer before the presidential election. By tradition the party out of power goes first in July, then the party in power in August.

3. Conventions Usually in a major city with the facilities to handle. Also often in a city that is strategically important. Party tells each state how many delegates they will have. super-delegates

4. Selection of Delegates Delegates are selected in a number of ways. In the early days of primaries, delegates came to the convention as free agents; unclear who the candidate would be before the convention began. Now, delegates usually come to the convention pledged to a particular candidate, so that outcome of convention vote is well-known before-hand. Presidential Primaries: 3/4 of all delegates come from states that hold primary election where votes select delegates that will vote for a particular candidate. Rest pick delegates at caucuses

5. Primaries Process varies greatly from state to state because process controlled by state law. States prefer to hold their primaries first. Why? The primaries have come earlier and earlier to the point that in 2004 the nominees were clear by mid-spring. Democrats prohibit winner-take-all primaries, so that delegates are divided based on vote totals to long as a candidate polls at least 15 percent. Now few winner-take-all primaries because state laws have accommodated the democratic requirement.

6. Evaluation of the Presidential Primary While complicated, are also vital and important. Help test the candidates to make sure that the one selected is able to handle the pressures of a campaign. Allow dark-horses, such as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, to emerge. Becoming harder for unknowns to break through. Need more money and organization at the outset.

7. Section 5—The Election The Electoral College Today Voters don’t vote for the presidential candidates, they vote for electors pledged to those candidates. Presidential Election (for electors) is always on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. (Date is set by Congress.) Electors are winner take all in all states except Maine and Nebraska. In most states, the names of the electors do not even appear on the ballot.

8. Section 6—The Election Electors meet in the state capitals on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Votes are cast, sealed and sent to Washington. Votes are opened and counted on January 6. If no candidate has a majority (270 of 538) , the House of representatives must select the president from the top three candidates. If the house fails to pick a President by January 20, under the 20th Amendment the newly elected Vice President shall act as President until it does.

9. Flaws in the Electoral College First problem is the chance that the person receiving the majority of votes will not win the presidency. Two reasons, 1) winner take all nature of electoral votes means that it doesn’t matter by how many votes one wins a state. 2) Secondly, electoral votes are not distributed evenly.

10. Flaws in the Electoral College The Second Major Defect Unfaithful Electors. The Third Major Defect Elections could be determined by the House. Voting is by states and thus the small states have a much bigger voice. Also, if a state’s delegates can’t agree, they could loose their vote entirely, since it is a collective vote. Also, must be a majority vote. They might not be able to get a majority, either.