Elections

The detailed procedures that govern the casting of votes for elected officials help ensure a democratic way of life

The Big Idea

• elections are largely governed by State law• aspects of national elections such as dates are governed

by federal law• voting takes place in voting districts called precincts• within the precincts, voters cast their votes at polling

places• a ballot is used to register a person’s votes• most states use a form of the Australian ballot--either

an office-group ballot or a party-column ballot

http://youtube.com/v/qxiD9AEX4Hc

• National Elections are held:• November of every even number year• The Tuesday-after-the-first-Monday• This insures election day is never on a Sunday or on

the first day of the month

Elections

A Democratic Government cannot succeed unless we

have free, honest and accurate elections

• Voting by those unable to get to their regular polling places on election day

• 3 reasons you are allowed to vote absentee• too ill or disabled• expect to be away from home for whatever

reasons• military service

Absentee voting

• Voting Districts• Smallest geographic units for the conduct of elections• they deal with the polling places where people go to vote• poll watchers:

• They can challenge anyone they don’t believe is a qualified voter

• monitor the process• handout sample ballots

Precinct

• Started in Australia and toay all states in the US use it

• 4 features• printed at public expense• lists the names of all candidates in an election• given out only at the polls

• one to each qualified voter• Marked in Secret

Australian Ballot

• SO MUCH MONEY• is spent on elections

• Where does that money come from???• 2 major forms• Public and Private

• Spending in 2012

Money and election

• Small contributors: those that give small amounts• this has been a major development over the years

• Wealthy Individuals: Large donations• Candidates: give their own money

• Perot the most: 65 million• Nonparty Groups: are given donations from their supporters

• PAC: Political Action Committees• Special interest groups

• Temporary organizations:• groups formed for the campaigns

• Fund raisers

Private Contributions

• These groups do not directly give the candidates money• HOWEVER: they are able to spend unlimited amounts of money to

support the candidate in the form of adds, publications, and even movies

• Citizen’s United Case• Prior to this ruling there were limits on how much money

corporations could give to candidates• Corporate free speech is the same as individual free speech.

Super PAC

• Federal Election Committee• Deals with all federal laws dealing with campaign finance• Laws cover 4 broad areas

• timely disclosure of campaign finance data• places limits on campaign contributions• places limits on campaign expenditures• provides public funding

• everyone has to disclose where their money is going and where they are getting it• keeps everyone honest

FEC

• Today no person can give more than 2000 to federal primary election or general election• 5000 to PAC• 25,000 to National Pary committee

• Hard money• money raised and spent to elect candidates for Congress and WHite

House• Limited

• Soft Money• money given to party organization for stuff like voter registartion• no limits until 2002

Limits on Contributions