Elections in America Notes

The US election system is complex, with elections at the state, federal, county, and city levels.
Presidential elections are highly competitive and dramatic.
Candidates must first win their party's nomination through state-level elections before competing in the general election.

Two primary methods for selecting a presidential nominee: primary elections and caucuses.
Primaries: Standard elections with secret ballots.
Voters go to polls, enter a booth, and cast their vote anonymously.
Caucuses: Public votes where people gather to discuss and choose leaders.
Registered voters meet in various locations.
Voters divide into groups based on candidate support, with undecided voters forming their own group.
Speeches are given to persuade others to join groups.
Officials count voters in each candidate's group, reporting results from districts to counties to the state.
The caucus system is a time-honored process involving community leaders and public discussion.
Most states use primaries rather than caucuses.

Closed Primaries: Only registered party members can vote.
Independents cannot vote in closed primary states.
Open Primaries: Any registered voter can vote, regardless of political affiliation.
Democrats can vote in Republican primaries, and vice versa.
Unaffiliated voters can choose either major party's primary.

Primaries are spread out over the year, leading to competition among states for early placement.
New Hampshire has a state law ensuring their primary is at least a week before any other state's.
Iowa holds the first caucus.
Some states form alliances to hold primaries on the same day to increase influence.
Super Tuesday: A significant alliance where many states hold primaries simultaneously.

In primaries, voters are not directly electing the party's candidate.
Votes are allocated to delegates who then support candidates.
Before primaries, party leaders and bosses decided nominations in private.
Primary elections emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to counter the control of political parties.
Voters gained influence, while party leaders' power decreased.
Delegates are involved in state politics, including volunteers, local party chairs, and state officials.
They are chosen by party leaders or elected, depending on the state and party.

Each party determines the number of delegates at the beginning of the primary process.
In 2020, the Democratic Party had 3,979 delegates, and the Republican Party had 2,441 delegates.
National parties allocate delegates to states based on formulas considering electoral votes and population.
Example: In 2020, the Democratic Party allocated 126 delegates to New Jersey, while the Republican Party allocated 49.
After primaries, delegates attend the National Convention.
The National Convention is where the party officially selects its nominee.
To win the nomination, a candidate must receive a majority of the delegates’ votes.

On the Democratic side, delegates are awarded proportionally based on the votes won in each state's primary.
Example: If Biden won 80% of the vote in New Jersey, he would win 80% of New Jersey's delegates.
A candidate needs a majority of delegates to clinch the nomination (e.g., $(3979/2 + 1 = 1991)$ for the Democratic Party in 2020).
Republican rules vary; some states award delegates proportionally, while others are winner-take-all.
New Jersey Republicans use a winner-take-all system.
The video provides further explanation of the primary system: https://youtu.be/IOSCf2mBI3s

After nominations, general elections begin with debates to inform voters.
On election day, Americans do not directly vote for president.
The president and vice president are chosen by electors through the Electoral College.
The Electoral College is a group of people (electors) who elect the president and vice president.
It consists of 538 electors.

The number of electors is determined by: 100 Senators + 435 Representatives + 3 electors from Washington DC = 538.
Each state has electors equal to its number of members in Congress (House and Senate).
New Jersey has 14 electors (2 senators + 12 representatives).
House representation is based on population, affecting the number of electors.

In 48 states and D.C., the popular vote winner in a state receives all of that state's electoral votes.
Example: Biden winning the popular vote in New Jersey meant he received all 14 of New Jersey’s electoral votes.
Maine and Nebraska use a proportional system for assigning electors.
A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidential election.

Electors are chosen by state parties and include party officials, lawmakers, and activists.
Each presidential candidate has a unique list of potential electors.
When voting, people are casting ballots for their party’s slate of electors.
Presidential candidates' names on the ballot represent these electors.
Voting for a candidate informs the state which candidate it should vote for at the meeting of electors, held on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.
Electors typically follow their state's popular vote, but the Constitution does not require it.