Election Notes - AP Government (Unit 3.1)

What are some things candidates do?

General elections happen every 2 years; 4 years for presidents.

Which two states have their primaries/caucuses first? Iowa and New Hampshire
Which elections happen first in the election process? Primary Election.

Delegates are chosen by the states to select the presidential candidate during primary elections and caucuses.

National Convention:

National Convention: place where important speeches are held; usually during election year by delegates in all states; hypes up everyone about their political party and the party’s platform.
Party’s platform: ^^a party’s beliefs and plans/goals for the upcoming years; and how to make them happen.^^

Candidates are nominated on the last night at the National Convention.

What is the main purpose of the National Conventions for both parties? nominating their candidate for presidency.
Who REALLY elects the US president? electors.

During the primary elections and caucuses, states choose these people to select the presidential candidate: delegates.
When is a president sworn into office? Every odd numbered year.

Purpose of the convention:
Build up hype and party’s platform.
Nominate candidates on the last night at the National Convention.
National conventions are held by each party in the summer of election year by delegates in all states.
Delegates represent the state’s voters to vote for the preferred candidate.
Each party will have chosen it’s final candidates for president and vice president when the convention ends.
Each party writes a platform at conventions. This is the party’s plan of action for the next four years.

Types of Elections:

Closed Primary: the only political party you can select from based on your registered party.
Open Primary: choosing (a ballot) of any party you want despite your original party you selected from the registered party.
Blanket Primary: get a ballot/can vote for any candidate regardless of registered party. \n
Runoff Primary: when the votes of candidates are tied/no majority. Picks the top two vote-getters against each other in a general election.

States both use Open and Blanket primary elections.
Eligibility of voting: determining whether or not you can vote based on your age and your state’s laws.
In California, when can you pre-register to vote? age 16.
What system does California use? Closed primary.

Caucusing: in-person and group voting; usually done in a large area like a gym. People would group up based on what candidate they vote for (by standing near their candidate’s name) and count each person; divide to see how many candidates 15% of the people that are there.
- Any candidate below 15% would cancel out the candidate; losing groups would have to re-choose another candidate.
- All candidates must have 15% of the total or higher; it determines which candidate wins that certain district.
General Elections: voters choose from among all the candidates nominated by political parties or running as independents.
When are they held?: General elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in even numbered years.

Presidential Elections: happens every 4 years

Presidents are sworn into office every odd numbered years.

Congressional Elections: happens every two years.

Extremely low voter-turnout

What are elections called when there is no president being elected?: midterm elections. \n Coattail effect: benefiting from other people’s work.

What is caucusing and how does it work?

Primary elections: putting in your ballot independently, sometimes only based on your registered party or not.
Caucuses are more public and physical; usually done on days more spread out.
Caucasus and primary elections can be done on the same day. (Super Tuesday).

Delegates: assigned to candidates based on primary elections and caucusing.
4,000+ delegates total.
\ Superdelegates: only assigned to the Democratic party; can choose any candidate they want last minute.
700+ superdelegates total
The more delegates a state has; the more delegates would go to the National Convention.
If a candidate wins half of the delegate’s vote, they win the nomination for that party (delegates are usually assigned to their candidate and party).
When you vote in the primaries, who elects the nominee for president?: Delegates from your state.

Electoral College:

Popular vote influences the Electoral College. California has 53 Representatives (based on population and district); Representatives and Senators (2) of States makes up the Electoral votes Finalized Electoral votes consist of all of the state’s electoral votes.

# of Senators that the State has + # of Representatives equal to population = # of State’s Electoral votes

(ex. California = 55 EV ; Reps = 53, Sen. = 2)

(ex. 53 Reps. + Sen. 2 = 55 EV)

Popular Vote: our votes influence the Electoral College votes.

Electoral Votes: made up of the # of Representatives a state has and the state’s total number of senators (2).

Total Votes: you need at least 270 Electoral votes to win. If no president gets 270 EV; a vice president will be selected by the House of Reps and Senate.

Winner-Take-All: whoever wins the popular votes gets all of the Electoral College votes.

How many electors to win? 538 (minimum of 270)

What is no majority? If there is no candidate that has the majority of 538 (270), vice presidents would be elected. Majority is the half of a group’s vote.

Who are the Electors? Popular votes > influences electoral college votes > presidency.

Electors are selected by Party Loyalists.
State choose a state of electors Votes choose an elector who has pledged their vote to a candidate Electors are party supporters.

Faithless electors: electors who vote for the opposite party.

The winning candidate (with the most popular votes) of a state becomes the state’s main candidate. Continues until each state has their own main candidate.
Not all states have a fair amount of votes; ‘left out’ votes are held accountable by using the
number of districts heavily impact the population; more influence.
When voting, the winning president is not based on popular votes.
Electors are based on the # of districts/representative a state has + # of the senator of that state (2). Winning candidate of that state has the state’s electoral votes accountable.
Goal: win the majority of 538 electors (with a minimum of 270).

> Swing or Battleground State: a state in which it does not have a dominating party, and does not have loyalty to either party. > > Incumbent Advantage: candidate that is currently holding the position. > * Representatives in the House of Reps. wins in reelection 90% of the time. > * Increases chance into becoming a Rep. or a Senate. (rep has a higher chance than becoming a Senate). > > The Senate represents more people.

Gerrymandering: the partisan redrawing of the congressional district borders.

Happens every 10 years after the census.
Increases the chance of a state’s dominant political party for a candidate to win.
Amount of population in a district is considered rather than the amount of land/districts.
When two districts have the same amount of people; it has a lower population density.
District borders sometimes follow freeways; but most of the time, it doesn’t make sense.
Compact: when a district has roughly around a population of 45-47; or if a district doesn’t spread too far.
Political parties can dominate territory of different districts.
Senators cannot change congressional district lines.
Size of a district is determined by population density.
(720.000 - 790.000 density relative).
Goal of Gerrymandering: to ensure you have a majority of your party in each district so you win as many districts as possible.
Anaheim is located in the CA-46 District.