THE (PRESIDENTIAL) CAMPAIGN PROCESS

• -Self-nomination: “Hey, I’m running for office!” Used most frequently.• Getting your party’s nomination:• -Caucus: Groups of like-minded individuals get together to decide whom they will nominate for an office. Mostly used in smaller settings, such as school boards or city councils; however, also the method Iowa uses for presidential nominations.

PRIMARY ELECTIONS

• -Primary Elections: Primary elections are used to narrow down the often-large list of candidates hoping to represent each party. Primary elections are held before general elections to determine the one candidate that will be representing each political party.

TYPES OF PRIMARIES

• -Open primaries: The voter arrives at the polling place and chooses from which party’s ballot he would like to vote.• -Closed primaries: You may only

choose from the lit of candidates from your own party.• -Blanket primaries: Voters receive a

long ballot with the names of all candidates, and choose whom they like best. This was ruled unconstitutional after politicians claimed it took away their right to associate along party lines.

CONVENTIONS

• Party Conventions:• Party conventions are used to formalize the

party’s candidate. Even though this is determined by voters during primary elections, the conventions are used to formally announce who has won their party’s nomination.

THE CAMPAIGN PROCESS:

• Each candidate designs a campaign consisting of various print and TV ads to convince voters to choose them. The average cost of a campaign is somewhere around two hundred million dollars. Where does that money come from?

THE MONEY

• Private donors: private donors (individuals) can donate up to $117,000 every two years to candidates, party committees, and Political Action Committees (PACs)

• Political Action Committees: made up of businesses, individuals, or corporations, these groups (whose sole purpose is to raise $$) donate up to $250 million per election.

• Super PACS: Made legal in 2010, allows individuals to contribute unlimited amounts to PACs that are not directly related to a candidate

• Candidates themselves: wealthy candidates who can afford to do so may fund their own campaign out of pocket. In 1992, Ross Perot spent $65 million of his own money to finance his campaign.

DEBATES:

• -Candidates (usually only representing the major parties) appear in a series of televised debates in which they discuss controversial issues affecting the election. Vice-presidential candidates also compete in one televised debate. • -These debates have a significant impact

on how America votes: Richard Nixon famously lost his 1960 presidential bid because he was so sweaty and unattractive during the televised debate against a young John F. Kennedy!

ELECTION DAY

• Presidential elections are held every four years on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.• Each voting district (an area made up of approximately 5,000 voters) has several polling places (usually servicing 5oo to 1,000 voters).• Polls open at 7 or 8 AM and close at 8 PM.• According to federal law, workers must be given time off from work to vote.