Elections—describe what happens during each of the election process; use Chapter 16-3 and 17-1 for additional information.
Choosing a Candidate
Caucuses—
Primary Elections—
Party Convention—
The Campaign
Campaign Essentials (strategy, organization, etc.)—
Federal Election Commission (FEC)—
Political Action Committees (PACs)--
General Election
What happens?—
Plurality (Congressional election)—
Electoral College (Presidential election)—
Choosing a Candidate
Caucuses— In caucuses, party members meet to select their party's nominee for an election. This process involves discussions, debates, and eventually voting to determine the candidate.
Primary Elections— Primary elections are elections in which voters directly choose the candidates who will represent each party in the general election. These elections can be open (allowing all voters to participate) or closed (only allowing registered members of a particular party to participate).
Party Convention— Party conventions are gatherings of party members to officially nominate their candidates for the upcoming election. Conventions also serve as platforms for party leaders and supporters to promote their party's agenda and goals.
The Campaign
Campaign Essentials (strategy, organization, etc.)— Campaigns involve developing a strategy to appeal to voters, organizing volunteers and staff, fundraising, creating advertisements, and conducting outreach to the public through speeches, debates, and social media.
Federal Election Commission (FEC)— The FEC is a federal agency responsible for regulating campaign finance laws and overseeing the financing of federal elections.
Political Action Committees (PACs)— PACs are organizations that raise money to support or oppose political candidates or issues. They are regulated by federal laws and are required to disclose their donors and spending.
General Election
What happens?— During the general election, voters cast their ballots for their preferred candidates. The candidate who receives the most votes wins the election.
Plurality (Congressional election)— In a plurality system, the candidate who receives the most votes wins the election, even if they do not receive a majority of the votes.
Electoral College (Presidential election)— In the presidential election, the Electoral College system is used to determine the winner. Each state is assigned a certain number of electoral votes, and the candidate who receives the majority of electoral votes wins the election.