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| US Election - Resources |
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| FAQ - Primaries, caucuses and conventions By Eoin Callan Published: October 2 2000 09:24GMT | Last Updated: October 2 2000 09:27GMT |
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 How do the parties choose their candidates?Presidential candidates are chosen at national party conventions. Delegates from each state attend the national convention and vote for the candidate they want to become the party's presidential nominee. The candidate who receives sufficient support from state delegates then becomes the party's presidential nominee. In the case of both the Democratic and Republican parties, delegates to the national convention are chosen through state primary elections, caucuses and conventions. Both parties appoint the majority of their national convention delegates through primary elections. What is a primary? Primaries help parties to choose the most popular candidate to become their presidential nominee. A primary is a state election that allows voters to pick their favourite candidate for president and elect delegates to support them at the national convention. Delegates attend the national convention and nominate a candidate for president. Presidential hopefuls campaign during primaries to persuade voters they are best suited to represent their party. The primary season begins at the start of the election year and finishes in the summer ahead of the national conventions and the autumn presidential race. Do all states hold primaries? No, parties also use caucuses and conventions to select delegates in smaller states. Caucuses may be so informal that they simply involve local party supporters gathering in the home of a party activist and being asked to stand on one side of the room according to the candidate they support. The supporters of each candidate may then send delegates to the state convention where delegates to the national convention can be chosen. Do all states elect the same number of delegates? No, the number of delegates representing each state varies greatly according to the size of the state and party rules. The larger states send more delegates. Both parties have systems designed to ensure that a candidate can demonstrate a broad base of support from a wide range of states before leading the party's bid for the White House. In practice, the candidate who will win the nomination emerges quickly after key states like California, New York, Texas and Florida cast their ballots. How are delegates allocated? Supporters of each candidate are sent to the national convention as delegates in proportion to the degree of support the candidate received in the state primary, caucus or convention. Do all primaries have the same rules? No, primaries are organised in accordance with state laws. In some states primaries are open to anyone who presents themselves to vote at local polling booths, while in others only voters with a declared party affiliation can register their preference. State parties can also organise their own primaries if the date or system being used by the state government does not suit them. In all cases, political parties are allowed to determine the weight they give to votes cast in primaries. How do smaller parties put forward their candidates? It depends on the state. When an individual or political party chooses to nominate a candidate for president they do not automatically qualify to appear on the ballot in every state. In some states independent and third party candidates can simply submit their names directly to state election officials, while in other states, candidates must gather signatures and demonstrate sufficient support to qualify for the presidential ballot. more from FT.com Campaign Finance Reform party Primaries, caucuses, & conventions |
