Words to Know
Fill in this table as you work through the lesson. You may also use the glossary to help you.
a person who aspires to serve in a public office
an attitude of disagreement
an election in which voters select candidates for political office
powerful and able to control something
soliciting votes for an electoral campaign
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Lesson Goals
Describe the components of a successful campaign.
Explain the role of
in the election process.
Election Night
Tonight is the end of a fantastic campaign. I am so grateful for the great team of volunteers
who have brought us this far.
But tonight is not about me. It is about how all of us in this district will work together
in the coming years with one goal: to make this city the best it can be. I look forward to
representing you in the legislature!
An election night is only one part of the campaign. It's a , drawn-out process.
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Campaigns and Elections
Purposes of Political Campaigns
Political campaigns work to get a candidate elected or pass an issue.
They accomplish this by:
• communicating a about the candidate or issue to the public.
• sending critical messages about candidates’ views.
• raising money to pay for the campaign.
2 Slide
• creating flyers and posters.
Typical positions include:
Voter Registration Drives
Campaigns and other interest groups also assist citizens in to vote.
They organize events, send text messages, knock on doors, and use
to drive voter registration.
Stacey Abrams (b. 1973)
• Served as leader of the Georgia House of Representatives
• Was the first woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for
a major party
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• public from the government.
• support from the political party.
Campaign Finance Laws
• Individuals are limited in the they can donate.
• Laws require candidates to tell who made donations and how the
was spent.
• are restricted in the ways in which they can donate.
Comparing and Contrasting: The Debate over Campaign Finance
Campaign finance is a subject of great debate.
Some citizens argue that restrictions are needed to:
• reduce the influence of
• supporting a candidate can be
considered .
EXAMPLE
The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United vs. FEC changed campaign finance laws.
Citizens United More money is now spent
on elections
• the government cannot limit
corporations or interest groups.
• limiting this spending violates
the right to speech.
.
• The top 100 donors contributed nearly 78% of all spending.
• people have more
The Role of Primaries
A primary is a type of election usually held a political party to:
• help the party nominate its for a general election.
• draw attention to major party .
7
to nominate a directly.
for .
members can vote.
Caucuses and Conventions
Parties can use other methods to choose nominees.
• A is a meeting of party members who choose a nominee
through debates.
• A is a meeting of delegates who elect a nominee.
Nominating a President
to
State election officials are responsible for:
• registering candidates.
General Elections
• occur the primaries are finished.
• are held on regularly scheduled dates.
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The Electoral College
The Electoral College was one of the compromises of the Constitutional Convention.
Delegates:
• feared that people would not be enough to decide.
• based the Electoral College on states’ , not the number
of voters.
9 Slide
Citizen Power
• Local elections are typically decided by a group of voters.
• Many state races have been decided by a vote or ended in a tie.
• Even elections can be close.
When your vote joins with others, it to electoral results.
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Popular Vote vs. Electoral College
Presidential elections are the only national elections where the vote does not determine the winner.
Popular Vote
• Every vote counts toward result
• Candidate with votes wins
for each state
• democracy
vote
their .
• Members of the
college meet in their respective states to cast and submit their votes based on the popular results in
their .
•
.
In the 2000 election, George W. Bush won the College,
but Al Gore won the vote.
9 Slide
Challenges to Presidential Election Results
There are processes in place to address questions about the of election results.
Candidates and parties can file lawsuits against
procedures.
Candidates and state officials can request popular vote
.
.
session and each House debates the objection.
Lawsuits can be filed in local, state, and federal courts, as well as directly with the
Court.
the Floridato
.
essentially made law.
• The counts stopped,
9 Slide
Bush won the state of by 537 votes.
• Florida law required a recount by , but some counties counted by hand.
• Bush in the recount and asked that manual counts end.
• Gore wanted the counts to continue.
The Florida Supreme Court said the counts should continue.
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In the 2020 election, candidate Joe Biden won the popular
and electoral votes in a close race against the incumbent president,
Donald Trump.
and state courts.
• Several states recounted and
took office as US president on January 20.
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Answer
Lesson Question What is the role of campaigns and elections in the political process?
Key Concepts
• laws control how
campaigns are funded.
Primaries and Elections
conventions are three ways in which political parties choose candidates.
• elections decide
• They are overseen by election officials who make sure that
elections are run .
Summary Campaigns and Elections