Voting, campaigns, and election

Voting amendments

15th, 17th, 19th, 23rd, 24th, 26th

15th amendment

Prohibits states from denying the right to vote on account of race

17th amendment

Gives people the right to choose US senators

19th amendment

Guarantees women the right to vote

23rd amendment

Grants residents of DC votes in Electoral College

24th amendment

Prohibits poll taxes

26th amendments

Guarantees 18 y/o the right to vote

Electoral college

538 in total, 270 to win, house of representatives decides in absence of an outright majority

Number of instances and years when the popular vote has not been the president

5: 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, 2016

Caucuses

Meetings run by political parties that are held at country, district, or precinct levels, 1st in Iowa

Primaries

Open, semi-closed, closed, 1st in New Hampshire

Open primary

Any registered voter, regardless of party membership, can vote

Semi-closed primary

Anyone registered with the party or an am independent/unaffiliated can vote

Closed primary

Only registered members of a party can vote in that party’s primary

Individual contribution limit per election

$3,300 for 2024, primaries and general election are separate so it’s actually $6,600

Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

Court got rid of any restrictions on independent campaign spending by any organization considered an independent expenditure only committee (corporations and labor unions included), corporations cannot give to PACs, but can spend unlimited amounts on “independent expenditures” (“expressly advocating the election or defeat of clearly identified federal candidates”)

McCutcheon v. FEC (2014)

You can give as much as you wish to different candidates, although the individual limits still apply

PACs

Distribute funds to candidates for campaigning purposes, spend money to influence voters on an issue, can only receive up to $5,000 (from individuals or other PACs, not directly from corporations or labor unions), can contribute up to $5,000 to candidates each election

Super PACs

Or independent expenditure-only committees, independent expenditures: “spending by individuals, groups, political committees, corporations or unions expressly advocating the election or defeat of clearly identified federal candidates”, cannot coordinate or contribute with a candidate or political party, can take (and spend) unlimited amounts of money from any source (including corporations and interest groups), must disclose donors, but generally not required to do so before the election is over