Primary

A previous Capitol Corner addressed the term caucus, and in that discussion I mentioned that caucus is also used in US presidential politics to describe the process whereby party members register preferences for candidates and/or select convention delegates. For example, the Iowa caucuses.

As you may know, the US Presidential Preference Primary season starts in January 2008. So what is the difference between a primary election and a caucus system?

Essentially, primary elections and a caucus systems are the two basic systems used during the first stage of U.S. presidential campaigns, the nomination stage. Each party goes through a process of selecting its nominee and the candidates compete with others in their party to win their party’s nomination. The structure can differ from state to state, but both allow the public to participate in nominating candidates. Historically, Iowa and New Hampshire hold the first caucuses and primaries, respectively.

A caucus is quite a complicated process. For example, the Iowa caucus is so complex that even Iowans themselves must be educated about how to participate in them. During an Iowa caucus meeting citizens gather based on party preference to discuss issues, write party platform statements and choose presidential candidates. Republicans vote either by a show of hands or by dividing themselves into groups according to candidate. The Democrats have a more complicated process. Candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination must receive at least 15 percent of the votes in a caucus meeting to remain viable and move on. If a candidate fails to reach the the 15 percent threshold, i.e. is no-viable, his/her supporters may join a viable candidate group, join another non-viable candidate group in an attempt to make it viable, join others to form an uncommitted group or simply chose not be counted.

In contrast, a primary such as the New Hampshire primary, is more like a general election. Voters go to polls and cast votes for a presidential candidate. Depending on the state, a primary may either be open to all eligible voters or closed to only registered members of a party. Most states use the primary election system.