Learn about the primary system, how parties nominate candidates, how we determine the order in which states vote, and more.
What you will discover:
What exactly is the nomination procedure?
What exactly is a caucus?
What factors influence the sequence in which states vote?
Who is eligible to vote in primaries?
It is election season, in case you do not have a television. If, on the other hand, you possess a television and live in a swing state, please accept my heartfelt sympathies. Yes, elections in the United States have grown more stretched out; a true money-fueled marathon replete with a flood of commercial expenditure that would make the Super Bowl blush.
We still recognize our political process, no matter how insane it has become. The methods themselves, however, contain a few quirks. As a consequence, most of us still have some unanswered issues, such as: How do parties nominate candidates? What exactly is a caucus? Why is Iowa ranked top in the country?
The good news is that solutions exist. The good news is that 2016 is an excellent year for learning. So, let us examine our basic system.
Table of Contents
What exactly is the nomination procedure?
To begin with, each political party has its own nomination procedure, albeit the fundamentals are similar. The overall aim is for one candidate to garner a majority of delegates in order to be nominated by their party. The delegate pool is made up of long-standing party members, noteworthy supporters, and individuals elected as delegates. They represent the people at each party’s national convention and are elected via primary elections, as you may have guessed. When a candidate receives a majority of the eligible delegates, they are declared the nominee.
That is the fundamental concept. However, each party’s procedure is distinct in certain ways.
Republican Party:
The Republican Party’s nomination procedure is extremely basic. Delegates are selected from three groups: state residents, inhabitants of certain congressional districts, and RNC members. Unless the candidate to whom they are committed withdraws from the contest, all delegates are equal and must respect the decision of the primary voters. Delegates may, however, opt to modify their support, but this is extremely unusual.
Delegates are given to a primary contender in a variety of methods. The first technique is a proportional allocation method. This simply implies that candidates earn delegates in proportion to their share of the primary vote, if they fulfill a minimal threshold (typically 15%). The RNC requires all primary elections held between March 1 and March 14 to distribute delegates in this way.
The winner-take-all approach comes after proportional. This approach gives all of the state’s delegates to the candidate who garnered the most votes. After March 14, the RNC allows for winner-take-all elections.
Finally, hybrid approaches exist that mix the two.
As previously noted, the RNC holds its convention when all states and U.S. territories have had primaries. The previously allocated delegates will support the candidate picked by their voters at the convention. If no candidate receives a majority of delegates, several rounds of voting may be held, or opposing candidates may strike a pact to pool their support.
The Democratic Party consists of:
The Democratic Party primary process, on the other hand, is more convoluted. The Democrats use a system similar to the Republicans, although they only distribute delegates proportionately. Democrats also include so-called superdelegates in the mix. Unpledged delegates are known as superdelegates. This implies that they may vote for any candidate at the Democratic National Convention, regardless of popular vote.
Primaries for Third Parties
Do not think I forgot about you, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson supporters. Yes, there are more than two political parties in the United States of America. The Green Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Constitution Party are among the most visible. Conveniently, all of these political parties follow the same primary procedure as the Republican Party, replete with delegates and conventions but no superdelegates.
In addition to third-party candidates, anybody who is constitutionally eligible to run for President may run as an independent.
What exactly is a caucus?
You have undoubtedly heard the phrase “caucus states” if you have been following the election. This basically implies that the state’s primary election is conducted via a caucus rather than a simple primary vote. So, what exactly is a caucus? A caucus, as opposed to a secret vote, is a series of state and county-wide gatherings where people gather to publicly debate the merits of their preferred candidate. In this sense, a caucus might be seen as more of a discussion.
At the conclusion of the day, an agreement will be achieved, and delegates will cast votes symbolic of the folks in each caucus—which is why certain states may have incredibly low vote totals. If an agreement cannot be achieved among caucus attendees, each state has tie-breaking methods in place, such as tossing a coin or drawing cards. Democracy in action.
What factors influence the sequence in which states vote?
To be sure, there is no rhyme or reason to this. States have had a part in defining their own order. When Iowa switched to its more sophisticated caucus system in 1968, it became “first in the nation.” Because the more intricate procedure requires more time, the main date has been moved ahead.
While national parties may exert influence on each state, when elections are planned, it is normally the duty of the particular state and its Secretary of State.
Who is eligible to vote in primaries?
Who is eligible to vote in presidential primaries varies by state. If your state has a “open” primary, each registered voter may vote in just one primary—regardless of party membership. Only people who are enrolled with the party may vote in “closed” primaries. Finally, several states have mixed primary elections. This last set of rules permits unaffiliated or independent voters to vote in any party’s primary.
Finally, several states will allow persons under the age of 18 to vote in primary if they will be 18 by the general election. As usual, vote early and frequently, and remember to check your state’s primary and/or voter registration deadlines.
