keira-2007

I've only lived here a few months now. And this is my first taste of presidential elections. Not being able to participate I still am interested in what actually happens to the politics of the States. (Believe it or not.)

Could someone please explain, in simple terms, what the primaries are all about, what a caucus is and how it is decided who actually becomes president?

Thanks y'all!

cindyabs

A popularity contest culminating in the survival of the fittest (and richest).

NC Penguin

Just wait till October, the month before the actual election! You'll want to leave the US at that point.

Rete

This will explain tonight's caucus in Iowa.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/01/...101/index.html

Registering to vote: You first register to vote and on primary or election day you go to the voting poll for your jurisdiction and cast your vote.

Primary: This is when a party is asking the public to decide who they want to run under that party ticket. So if you are a registered Republican or Conservative you can only vote in the Republican primary. If you are a registered Democrat or Liberal you can only vote in the primary for the Democrat Party

General Elections: It does not matter which party you are registered with, it only matters that you are registered to vote. On election day you go the poll for your voting jurisdiction and cast your vote for the candidate of your choice. You could be a registered Republican but you can vote Democratic if you wish; not like in the primaries where you can only vote in your party's primary election.

The votes are counted, blah, blah, blah. This does not mean that the candidate with the most votes wins. Each state has a member(s) in the electoral college. The electoral college is where the presidency is actually won or lost.

There is no electoral college for local or state elections. In those elections the voters' vote count.

fatbrit

Has anyone told Diebold this?

ugacrew

Okay, here goes. The primary is a contest held within each state (that participates) along party lines to determine who will be that party's candidate for the Presidential ballot. We have one primary that usually occurs late spring in the month of April. When you go to vote you indicate which party you are voting for. For instance when I go I tell them I want the Democratic Ballot. This ballot will contain all the Democratic candidates for President. This ballot also contains state and local candidates for their respective offices. This ballot may also contain Initiatives or Questions to be voted on such as "Should the city of St. Louis apply such and such funds to X Project?" Now for the Presidential section, as a Democrat I have the opportunity to select who I'd like to see as our party's nominee for President. At the end of the process ballots are counted in each state that holds a primary and then the candidate is finalized for the final election that occurs in November of this year. Unlike the final election, this one is based solely on the popular vote and not the electoral vote.

keira-2007

It doesn't seem to make much sense to me. Why can it not be as straightforward as it is in the UK. Maybe because of the sheer size of the US? All that stuff in the article about voters not being allowed in they if they are a minute late, and not being allowed to vote then go home, having to stand around for hours waiting for the vote to be counted. Seems it must put a lot of people off! It would me.

Nice and plain English, thanks UGA. I think I get the gist of it all... but can't for the life of me understand why they have to make it so blooming complicated. Oh well... suppose that's politics in a nutshell really.

frrussre

Its probably why so many people don't vote, they are not sure what why or when, no if's and or buts.
Seems like a good scheme.
I voted in Fl for the 1st time last year, must of been 50 choices, between, Senators, congress, judges, sheriffs, byelaws, amendments & the in & out's of the cats rear end.

Aw-shucks, now voting, for president, thats real easy.
Reg. Frank R.

frrussre

Easy, would allow more poor folk to vote, so why not easy?

fatbrit

Oh...they don't actually want you voting. If you did that, their candidate might not win. And they've spent a lot of money on their candidate.

Think they've already had one go at booting me off the register. Got a strange letter the other day from our secretary of state that said if I didn't reply I would be removed from the register. Their was a discrepancy in my address it alleged: here was the address they had and here was the address where they believed I lived. They were both exactly the same address! I sent it back, ticking the box that said they had the right address for me. We'll see what happens on Super Tuesday when I go to vote.

ugacrew

Some of the main reasons why is that some feel disenfranchised as voters. Others have waited too late to register to vote. Particularly with the younger generation, they feel their vote doesn't count (yeah right, look at Florida in '00). Some just don't care and feel the outcome has already been decided when there is a clear winner. Plus, unlike some countries where election day is considered a federal holiday, we work that day. We are allowed off work without penalty but for some it becomes a hassle.

keira-2007

I was watching MSNBC earlier. (I know, I had to look twice after I wrote that..) and "they" were saying that Barack Obama is counting on the young peoples vote, but the young people are notorious for not actually bothering to vote. I can fully understand why now!

Bob

Aye...up in maine where the missus used to work, you were allowed time off to go vote, but you had to make the time up afterwards and the amount of time you were allowed off meant it was next to impossible to actually get the vote in on time...very cheeky...but the company had given $$$ to a certain candidate and didn't want people to mess with them

frrussre

Yep, thats the way a lot of companies seem to play it. Lots of the lower paid, get to work before voting begins & then work late/ot, makes it difficult for them to vote. Maybe no transport?Reg. Frank R.

Poppy girl

More like the viewers of Oprah..........I am watching it at the moment and trying to work out whats going on, pleased you asked the question and thanks to those who have tried to educate us..

Personally I am in the Mit guys court he's yummy lol.