WHAT TYPES OF ELECTIONS ARE HELD IN THE UNITED STATES?
In a general election, voters make their final choice among candidates for federal, state and local offices. Candidates in the general election are nominated by their political parties or run as independents (not affiliated with a major political party). Voters also can write in the name of a candidate they support.
General elections are run by the states, but the date for the general election is set by federal law as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Measures such as proposed legislation (referendums), bond issues (borrowing money for public projects) and other government actions also may be placed on the ballot. Each state has its own rules about what measures can be placed on the ballot.
WHAT IS A PRIMARY?
A primary election is a contest in which a political party selects its candidates to run in the general election. The outcome is determined by the registered voters who cast their ballots at their local polling places. For the presidential nomination only, voters select delegates to cast their ballots for a candidate at the party’s national convention. For all other primary races, voters vote directly for a candidate.
Some primaries, called closed, are restricted to voters who have registered their political party affiliations. In other words, only registered Republicans will be allowed to vote in some primaries to select the Republican candidate for president. Open primaries allow any registered voter to cast a ballot regardless of party affiliation. Like the general election, primaries are conducted by the states. Unlike general elections, states set the schedule for primaries.
WHAT IS A CAUCUS?
A caucus is a local meeting at which registered members of a political party in a city, town or county gather to express support for a candidate. The combined recommendations of a political party’s state caucuses determine its nominees for statewide or national offices.
Caucuses, unlike conventions, involve many separate meetings held at the same time at multiple locations. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have their own rules governing caucuses. Those rules vary from state to state.