THE NOMINATING PROCESS There are 5 major ways in which nominations can be made. VUS6b
NOMINATIONS This is one of the important functions of political parties. A nomination is the official naming of the party s candidate for a particular office. Essentially, any member of the party is available to be nominated, so there are many choices!
SURPRISE IN VIRGINIA S 7 TH? Eric Cantor was the assumed Republican candidate for re-election to the House of Representatives. Dave Brat won the nomination of the party during the primary election. Why did this happen?
THE IMPORTANCE OF NOMINATIONS The nominating process is very important because the U.S. has a strong 2 party system. The winner of the election will likely come from one of the major parties. A strong argument can be made that this process is more democratic than the election itself as more candidates are available.
METHOD 1. SELF-ANNOUNCEMENT This is the oldest form of the nominating process. It is often used in local elections, as they are typically non-partisan. It is also used by people at higher levels who fail to get their party s nomination, and they splinter-off on their own.
METHOD 2. THE CAUCUS! A group of like-minded people that meets to select candidates it will support in an upcoming election Early caucuses were private meetings made up of the most influential members of a party. Corruption was very prevalent so this method fell out of favor. Caucuses are still used to make local nominations in some areas, but they are now open to all party members. The most notable presidential caucus is in Iowa!
METHOD 3. THE CONVENTION Nominating conventions were first used in the 1830 s and grew in popularity. At the time this was more democratic than the traditional caucus method. The process was corrupted by party bosses who would buy off supporters, and fell out of favor in the late 1800 s. Though national and state conventions are still used in many states, the method has changed to involve a reflection of the Primary Elections!
party members elect delegates to represent them at county conventions THE CONVENTION PROCESS county conventions elect delegates to state conventions delegates select the party s presidential and vice-presidential candidates state conventions elect delegates to go to the national convention
METHOD 4. THE DIRECT PRIMARY This is an election held within the party to pick the party s candidates in the general election. This election is held months prior to the general election so that the candidate has time to run a successful campaign. Most states - including Virginia - use this method for statewide elections (i.e. governor and U.S. Senator) as well as for Presidential elections.
OPEN VS. CLOSED PRIMARIES Open Primary: any qualified voter may vote to decide which candidate a party will support. Closed Primary: only voters registered as members of the party are allowed to vote. Virginia combines these two types primaries are open to anyone who is registered, BUT a person may only vote in one primary!
Problems with the primary system: Primaries are costly and divisive that is, members of the same party will trash each other trying to win the primary. Then they must reconcile before the general election so as to unite their vote. Many voters neither recognize their importance nor inform themselves sufficiently to make wise choices. Voter turnout is generally low, and a minority of party supporters can then select the candidates for the general election. Party raiding can occur in Open Primaries where members of the opposing party vote for the worst candidate in hopes of winning the general election for their own party!
Other types of primaries: Runoff Primary some states require a minimum voter percentage to win. If no candidate reaches that number, a second primary is held between the top two vote winners. Presidential Primary these are held in states to select the states preferences for presidential candidates. New Hampshire has the most important Presidential Primary (because it is the first one). Nonpartisan Primary these are always open primaries to select candidates for state or local offices which are not partisan based.
METHOD 5. NOMINATION BY PETITION At the local level, this process is commonly used for nonpartisan posts, such as school board and city councils. In some states, like Virginia, election laws require that minor party or independent candidates get a certain number of signatures before they are put on the ballot for major offices. When petitions are signed, that does not mean those signatures are expected to VOTE for that candidate, they simply support that candidate s desire to RUN. Because of the nature of election laws, this method is often paired with self-announcement.