Running for POTUS

• Caucus–

• Document drafted every four years by each party stating the policy positions of the party

– General party-wide issue stances

• Primary –

• Started after 1900• 2012 delegates chosen in primaries

– Dem 81%– Rep 74%

– practice of moving primary elections to the early part of the campaign to maximize the impact of these primaries on the nomination

2016 … so far

Allocating Delegates• Proportional

– Most commonly used– All Dem state delegates

• Winner Take All– Used in less than 10 states

• Superdelegates– Only by Dems

• Delegate selection and Presidential Poll– Two separate elections

http://www.fairvote.org/research-and-analysis/presidential-elections/2012-presidential-primary-resources/delegate-allocation-rules-in-2012-gop/

2012 GOP Rules

National Convention

• Used since 1832 to nominate candidates• Delegations are proportionate to population

– States, DC, territories, etc.

• Lasts a few days– 1st day: – 2nd day: – 3rd day:

• No convention since 1952 has needed more than one ballot

– 4th day:

General Election• Following convention candidates will focus

on – a state in which no single candidate or party

has overwhelming support in securing that state's electoral college votes

• campaigns devote exceptional effort to winning the popular and electoral vote there

                                                                                              Swing states in the 2012 presidential election. President Barack Obama won the nationwide popular vote by ~4 percentage points; this won him the bulk of the closely contested states, losing only North Carolina.  States won by Republican Mitt Romney by 0–4 percentage points  States won by Democrat Barack Obama by 0–4 percentage points  States won by Democrat Barack Obama by 4–8 percentage points