2016-01-27 08:00:00
Why are the Republicans and Democrats holding primary elections for the US Presidential election?
Primary elections within the respective parties are not enshrined in the American constitution, but they have developed over the years. Until about 1820, the members of Congress each appointed a representative of their party to run as a candidate in the presidential election. Later, it was party delegates at the district or state level who spoke out in favor of a particular candidate.
It wasn’t until 1910 that there was a first experiment with area codes in Oregon, which was then slowly extended to other states. The aim was to reduce the influence of party bosses and backroom deals, to test the popularity of candidates and to give greater democratic legitimacy to the internal party selection process. It was only after a chaotic 1968 Democratic convention, at which Hubert Humphrey was nominated despite not winning a primary, that primary elections became binding on the delegates representing their respective states at the national nominating conventions.
What is the difference between caucus and primary?
The individual US states decide for themselves how voters decide on the candidates for the presidential election. Most states do this by primary – a secret ballot. A few states have opted for the caucus system.
In Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming and Iowa, there is open voting at district level at party meetings – by show of hands or by the participants dividing into different groups depending on the candidate.
Only those who are registered voters of the respective party can take part in a caucus. There are different systems in the primaries. In some states only registered voters can vote, others are open to all citizens of a state. A caucus is organized and paid for by each party, while primaries are held by the state.
How are state votes weighted?
The number of voting delegates each state can send to the national nominating convention usually depends on its population. In the case of the Democrats, the delegate votes are distributed proportionally according to the election result. However, the states may set a hurdle of up to 15 percent, above which votes are only credited to a candidate.
For Republicans, that hurdle can be as high as 20 percent. However, there are still some cases where the leading candidate gets all the delegate votes. However, many states have a mixed form: the votes are largely allocated according to proportionality, but there are mechanisms that give the winner bonus votes.
What is it with the super delegates?
Superdelegates are voting participants in the nominating conventions who were not sent through the primary election system and are therefore not bound in their voting. Democrats are past and serving party leaders, including past presidents, vice presidents, party leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives, and serving governors, congressmen, or elected officials of the party.
These delegates can tip the scales in a stalemate or close election, after all, the Democrats make up about a sixth of the delegates. Among Republicans, the “unspecified delegates” play a less important role, accounting for only about a tenth of those entitled to vote at the nominating convention.
As a rule, each state sends three high-ranking party officials as super-delegates. However, given the volatility among Republicans, the unspecified delegates at the nominating convention could play an important role this time.
When are the primaries decided?
This year’s primary begins on February 1 with the caucus in Iowa and ends with the Democrats voting June 14 in DC. The Republicans end the primary season on June 7 with primaries in five states, including weighty California.
Traditionally, the votes in the first three states, which are Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, play an important role because they can trigger unexpected dynamics – for example, Barack Obama’s 2008 win in Iowa against Hillary Clinton was very important to get him in in the eyes of donors and supporters as a possible alternative. The most important milestone after that is Super Tuesday on March 1st, on which 15 states vote. Convincing victories on Super Tuesday have often brought candidates the nomination in the end.
This year, however, it is quite possible that the race will remain open to the end, especially among the Republicans, and may not be decided until the nominating party convention (July 18-21). The Democratic nominating convention will be held shortly thereafter on July 25-28.
Not everyone is happy with the system. What is criticized?
Iowa (February 1) and New Hampshire (February 9) have a special role in the election calendar as early primary states. The per capita grant rate that citizens of both states experience from politicians is many times higher than in later primary election states. Criticism is mainly sparked by the fact that Iowa in particular is not representative of the rest of the USA. It is predominantly rural, the population is predominantly white and more affluent than other regions. Iowa happened to be the first state on the Democratic election calendar in the 1972 primary. In the meantime, this start has become a tradition in both parties, which the state tenaciously defends.
In fact, Iowa has written into the state constitution that the primary must be held at least eight days before the other states. This poses a significant problem for candidates with limited financial resources. Should they invest a lot of money in the fight for Iowa, even though only about one percent of the delegate vote is cast there? Or should they plan for the long term, at the risk of their campaign quickly losing momentum after poor results in the early states?
What role do money and the Super PACs play in the primaries?
The socialist Bernie Sanders contests his election campaign for the nomination with the Democrats with the accusation that America’s politics were bought by big money. His campaign is the best proof that major donors don’t decide elections. Ahead of the primary, he’s neck and neck with Hillary Clinton, despite having far fewer fundraisers. Republican Jeb Bush raised by far the most money. But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a long way behind in the polls.
Nevertheless, it is clear that candidates need more and more money to run a successful election campaign. US campaign finance laws are a patchwork of regulation and deregulation. Individuals may only donate a maximum of $2700 per campaign. At the same time, according to a 2010 constitutional court ruling (“Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission”), non-profit organizations, companies, unions or associations can spend as much money on election campaigns as they want – but donations may not go directly to the candidates.
Since that ruling, independent action committees, known as super PACs, have grown in importance. These may promote a candidate, but may not work directly with the campaign team. According to another ruling, Super PACs are now allowed to accept unlimited donations from individuals. This makes some candidates more and more dependent on a few major donors. And as a result, more and more Americans feel that politics can be bought.
Which states have elections and when?
February 1: Iowa (first area code)
February 9: New Hampshire
February 20: Nevada (Democrats); South Carolina (Republican)
23. Februar: Nevada (Republicans)
February 27: South Carolina (Democrat)
1. März (Super Tuesday): Alabama, Alaska (Republikaner), American Samoa; Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia
March 5: Kansas, Kentucky (Republicans), Louisiana, Maine (Republicans), Nebraska (Democrats)
March 6: Maine (Democrats), Puerto Rico (Republicans)
March 8: Hawaii (Republican), Idaho (Republican), Michigan, Mississippi
March 12: DC (Republicans), Northern Marianas Islands (Democrats)
March 15: Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Northern Marianas Islands (Republicans), North Carolina, Ohio
March 19: Virgin Islands (Republican)
March 22: Arizona, Idaho (Democrats), Utah
March 26: Alaska (Democrats), Hawaii (Democrats), Washington (Democrats)
5. April: Wisconsin
9. April: Wyoming
19. April: New York
26. April: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island
3. Never: Indiana
7. Mai: Guam
May 10: Nebraska (Republican), West Virginia
May 17: Kentucky (Democrats), Oregon
24. Mai: Washington (Republikaner)
June 4: Virgin Islands (Democrats)
5. June: Puerto Rico (Demokraten)
7. June: California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico North Dakota, South Dakota
June 14: DC (Democrats)
July 18-21: Republican Nominating Convention
July 25-28: Democratic nominating convention
1691183130
#election #campaign #primaries #work #USA