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CHAPTER 17: ELECTIONS and VOTING 475 474-480 CH17S1-860053 12/3/04 5:18 AM Page 476 474-480 CH17S1-860053 12/3/04 5:17 AM Page 474 Every Vote Counts A successful demo- cracy is built on an informed electorate that is influenced by many factors. You are—or soon will be—part of that electorate. To find out more about how to cast your vote and to learn about its impact, view the Democracy in Action Chapter 17 video lesson: Elections and Voting ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ GOVERNMENT Chapter Overview Visit the United States Government: Democracy in Action Web site at gov.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 17—Overview to preview chapter information. 474 474-480 CH17S1-860053 12/3/04 5:18 AM Page 475 Section 11 Election Campaigns Reader’s Guide unning for political office is expensive. National elections to select all represen- Key Terms tatives and one-third of the senators are held every two years. Senators and repre- campaign manager, image, political action Rsentatives spend considerable time and effort rais- committee, soft money ing campaign funds. Presidential elections are held Find Out every four years. Candidates for the highest office ■ What are the basic elements of a presidential must have access to hundreds of millions of dollars campaign? to run their campaigns. The presidential campaign ■ Why were the Federal Election Campaign Acts is not only expensive, but also is a lengthy and com- passed? plex process. The reward for the winner, however, Understanding Concepts is the most powerful position in government. Political Processes What strategic decisions must political parties and candidates make during Electing the President each campaign? Candidates for president begin organizing their campaigns almost one year before the election. Primary races in the spring help to nar- row the field of candidates. Following the national conventions in late summer, the presidential cam- Election Controversy paigns become intense by early September. They ECEMBER 14, 2000 end on Election Day—the first Tuesday after the WASHINGTON, D.C., D first Monday of November. During the final eight he presidential election of weeks of the campaign, the candidates spend long, 2000 was finally concluded frenzied hours traveling from state to state. Taping T its last night, 36 days after television messages, shaking hands, making ending date. Vice speeches, giving interviews, and many other cam- scheduled President Al Gore conceded paign activities are exhausting. Candidates may victory to Texas governor forget where they are and greet the people of the George W. Bush after Denver with a “Hello, Dallas.” The slipup will be Florida Supreme Court halted a on the nightly news. recount. statewide manual vote TIME Cover The ruling allowed Florida’s for Bush, thus making Electoral Votes and the States To be electoral votes to be counted the United States. The elected president, a candidate must win at least the 43rd president of him tally, which was 270 of the 538 available electoral votes. The total hinged on Florida’s final election for a recount, electoral vote is equal to the number of repre- by Gore. He had petitioned contested cards and absen- sentatives and senators from all the states, plus 3 focused on individual punch which allowed Bush to votes from Washington, D.C. Each state’s elec- ballots. The Court’s decision tee to win the election toral vote is the total number of its senators and only the fourth president become representatives in Congress. while losing the popular vote. The candidate who wins the greatest num- ber of popular votes in any state usually receives all of that state’s electoral votes. To win the Students support an election campaign. ▲ CHAPTER 17: ELECTIONS AND VOTING 475 474-480 CH17S1-860053 12/3/04 5:18 AM Page 476 Campaign Organization A strong organiza- tion is essential to running a presidential cam- paign. Heading the organization is a campaign manager, who is responsible for overall strategy and planning. In the national office, individuals handle relations with television, radio, and the print media and manage finances, advertising, opinion polls, and campaign materials. Every Vote Counts A single vote On the state and local levels, the state party sometimes makes the difference in an chairperson usually coordinates a campaign. Local election. In 1997 Sydney Nixon, a Vermont party officials and field workers contact voters, state representative, won his seat by hold local rallies, and distribute campaign litera- a vote of 570 to 569. After a recount ture. The field workers, who are usually volunteers, showed he actually lost 572 to ring doorbells, canvass voters by telephone, and 571, Nixon was forced to give up do whatever they can do to make sure voters turn his seat to his opponent. In 1999, out to vote on Election Day. in Bering Strait, Alaska, an election for a school board Using Television The most important com- seat ended in a tie. Later, a munication tool for a presidential candidate flip of a coin gave candidate is television. Television coverage is the main way Wayne Morgan the seat. many citizens find out how a campaign is progressing. The image, or mental picture, that voters have of a candidate is extremely important. presidency, a candidate must pay special attention A candidate’s organization spends a great deal of time to those states with large populations, such as “packaging” him or her for television appearances. California, Texas, New York, and Florida. The larg- Political commercials provide an effective means er a state’s population, the more electoral votes it of shaping a candidate’s image. Appearances on has. A presidential candidate who won the elec- television news programs are equally important. toral votes of the 11 largest states would obtain the Television is now the single most commonly used 270 votes necessary to win the presidency. source of news for most Americans. Candidates also Because a candidate needs to win as many use television by participating in debates. Televised states as possible, he or she must appeal to a broad debates usually come late in a campaign and can have range of voters across the nation. A candidate who a big impact on voters who are undecided. Political runs on a single issue or only appeals to a certain parties know that these voters may determine the region of the country will find it much harder to winner of the election. win the necessary number of electoral votes. This need for broad appeal works against third-party Using the Internet Candidates running for candidates, who usually do not have the level of nearly every office from president of the United national organization or the amount of money States to county clerk are making increasing use of that is available to Democrats and Republicans. the Internet. The World Wide Web is become a key tool for raising the money all candidates need to Campaign Strategy Planning how to capture compete effectively for office. In addition, every key states is only one of many decisions a presiden- candidate for higher office will have a campaign tial candidate must make. For example, should the Web site. Voters and reporters can visit these sites candidate wage an aggressive, all-out attack on an to learn about the candidate’s background, sched- opponent, or would a more low-key campaign be a ule of appearances, positions on issues, voting better strategy? What should be the theme or slogan record, recent speeches, and more; some sites also of the campaign? What issues should be stressed? include a list of campaign contributors. Many sites How much money should be spent on television also offer an electronic newsletter that provides e- commercials, radio advertising, and newspaper ads? mail updates on a candidate’s activities. 476 CHAPTER 17: ELECTIONS AND VOTING 474-480 CH17S1-860053 12/3/04 5:19 AM Page 477 Financing Campaigns direct contributions, and limit how much individ- uals and groups can contribute. At first the regula- Running for political office is very expen- tions also tried to limit how much candidates sive. In the 2004 elections, presidential and could spend in a campaign. congressional candidates spent a combined total of The 1974 amendment to the law created the $3.9 billion dollars. Candidates need money for Federal Election Commission (FEC) as an inde- such things as office space, staff salaries, consul- pendent agency in the executive branch to admin- tants, pollsters, travel, campaign literature, and ad- ister federal election laws. Records of campaign vertising in the mass media, especially television. contributions must be kept, and all contributions Money can contribute to open political debate over $100 must be reported to the FEC. The FEC’s by giving candidates the chance to broadcast their records are open to public inspection. views to voters. However, the possibility arises that In 1976 the Supreme Court ruled that even candidates will need to give special favors to con- though limiting individual contributions to candi- tributors rather than represent all voters. dates did not violate the First Amendment, an overall limit on the total cost of a campaign was Regulating Campaign Financing Today unconstitutional. As a result, some candidates have campaign financing is heavily regulated. The Fed- spent huge sums. In 2000, for example, Democrat eral Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971 and its Jon S. Corzine used $65 million of his own money amendments in 1974, 1976, and 1979 provide the in winning a New Jersey Senate seat. framework governing campaign financing. This law and its amendments require public disclosure Public Funding The 1974 campaign finance of each candidate’s
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