Types of Elections

1. Types of Elections

2. What is a Primary Election? • An election held before the general election • Voters choose members of their political party to run for public office in the general election • Candidates want to be nominated in the primary • Only one can run in the general election

3. What is a Direct Primary? • The form most often used • Party members who wish to runhaveto have their names put on the ballot, voters choose the candidate • 2 types of direct primaries • Open- ballots for all the candidates, voters choose who they want • Closed- voters declare in advance which party they want to vote for

4. What is an Indirect Primary? • Members of a political party elect delegates to party conventions • Presidential elections/conventions • Delegates do the selecting instead of the voters

5. What is a Nonpartisan Primary? • Are not connected to a political party • Used for smaller local elections • Voters consider a candidate’s qualifications not based on the party

6. What is a Presidential Primary? • Select delegates for the national convention • Some states use this, not all • Delegates promise to support a certain candidate • Vote for the delegate is the same as voting for the candidate that represents them