Before Americans elect a president in November, they can choose candidates in a series of primaries and caucuses.
It is an unstable process that has evolved throughout the country's history and continues to evolve today. Here's what you should know:
What is a primary?: It is an election to select candidates, usually from a particular political party, to appear on the general election ballot. Primaries reward delegates, and candidates must reach a magic number of delegates to win the nomination and appear on the November general election ballot.
Who can vote in a presidential primary? Varies by state. Primaries are generally held at polling stations like any other election. But some states have “open primaries,” meaning any registered voter can vote in the Democratic or Republican primaries. Other states have “closed primaries,” meaning that only people registered with a particular political party (usually Republicans or Democrats) can vote in that party's primaries. Others offer registration on the day of voting, essentially opening the primaries to the majority of registered voters.
If multiple candidates win in party primaries in different states, how is the final presidential candidate determined? Delegates can be distributed through a Winner-take-all system, meaning the top candidate in a state's primary gets all of that state's delegates, or they can be distributed proportionally to the primary. results. Some states have thresholds where each candidate who receives more than a certain number of votes (for example, 20%) may be eligible for delegates. Today, Democrats distribute all their delegates proportionally.
This year's Republican rules generally require states with primaries and caucuses before March 15 to distribute delegates proportionally. States with primaries and caucuses after March 15 it may change to a winner-take-all format.
Get more answers to your top questions here.
