"Elections in the US" Slides--March 5, 2026

Suffrage: The term suffrage means the right to vote.
Eligibility Criteria:
- US citizens who are at least 18 years of age.
- Must not be convicted felons or deemed mentally incompetent.
Voting Registration:
- Handled individually by each state, resulting in variations across states.
- The U.S. Constitution does not specify federal election laws, so states determine their own.
- Proof of residency in a state is required to participate in local or national elections.
- Photo Identification: Typically used to verify identity, but the requirements vary by state; this is a controversial issue.

Motor Voter Legislation (1993):
- This legislation facilitates voter registration, allowing individuals to register when applying for or renewing a driver's license.
- States must forward completed applications to appropriate election officials.
Online Registration:
- Delaware and other states offer online registration, which significantly eases the process for citizens.
- However, some states do not provide this option.

Voting Options:
- Early Voting: Allows voters to cast their ballots before the official election day.
- Absentee Voting: Enables voters to mail or submit their ballots in advance if unable to vote in person.
- Mail-in Voting: Similar to absentee voting, but generally available to all voters who request it.
- Poll Voting: Traditional method of voting in person at designated polling places.

States with Early Voting Options:
- Includes states like Washington (WA), Montana (MT), North Dakota (ND), among others.
- Some states offer mail-in ballots, with others listed for early in-person voting.

Methods of Nomination:
- Convention: Historically significant but less frequently used; major parties hold summer conventions to formally nominate candidates.
- Caucus: A traditional method still employed by some states; allows for a more open voting process for candidate selection.
- Direct Primary: The most common method used in states; provides a more private voting mechanism for candidates.
- Petition: Used by minor party and independent candidates to get onto ballots; the petition process varies from state to state.

Purpose of Primary Elections:
- To narrow the field of candidates for the general election.
- Example: If five Democratic candidates are running for president, a primary election is held to select one candidate.
Types of Primaries:
- Closed Primaries: Example: Delaware uses a closed primary system, permitting only registered party members to vote in their respective primaries.
- Open Primaries: Allow any registered voter to participate in any party's primary regardless of their party affiliation.

Various primary election dates listed for different states throughout the election year, including:
- Washington (WA): March 12
- Montana (MT): June 4
- New Hampshire (NH): January 23
- etc.

Example from 2010:
- Christine O’Donnell, a Tea Party candidate defeated the incumbent Republican Senator Mike Castle for the Republican nomination in Delaware due to low voter turnout and ideological divides within the party.
- O’Donnell ultimately lost the general election for the U.S. Senate to Chris Coons (D).

Electoral System Overview:
- The executive branch in the U.S. is indirectly elected through electors chosen by state political parties.
- States conduct a popular vote that influences the Electoral votes.
- General election day: The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

The result of the popular vote in each state determines how the state's electors vote in the Electoral College.
Electoral College voting occurs on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December following the election.
A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win the presidency (total electoral votes = 538, half = 269).

Winner-Take-All Method: Utilized by 48 states, where the candidate who wins the popular vote in the state receives all electoral votes from that state.
District Method: Used by Maine and Nebraska, dividing electoral votes based on congressional districts. Each district awards one electoral vote to the candidate who wins that district. The statewide winner receives the remaining two electoral votes.
- Example breakdown:
- Maine:
  - 2 districts + 2 statewide votes = Total of 4 electoral votes.
- Nebraska:
  - 3 districts + 2 statewide votes = Total of 5 electoral votes.

Maine typically votes Democrat, but in 2016 and 2020, Donald Trump won Maine's 2nd Congressional District.
Nebraska typically votes Republican, but Barack Obama won Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District in 2008, earning a Democratic electoral vote for that district for the first time since 1964.

The Electoral College can diverge from the popular vote, resulting in instances where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the popular vote.
- Such occurrences happened five times in U.S. history: 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016.