William_T._Bianco,_David_T._Canon]_American_Polit

302 Chapter 9 | Elections

Most states have laws that allow vote recounts if a race is sufficiently close

(typically within 1 percent or less). Even when a recount occurs, it may be impossible

to definitively determine who won a particular election, as the rules that determine

which ballots are valid are often open to interpretation. More significant is that when

an election is close the question of which candidate wins may depend on how ballots

are structured and votes are counted. The problem is not that election officials are

dishonest; rather, close elections inherently tend to produce ambiguous outcomes.

Claims are often made that officials manipulate election rules to guarantee wins

for their favored candidates. In some states, Republican state and local officials have

enacted laws that require voters to verify their identity by showing polling officials an

official form of identification such as a driver’s license or a passport. The purported

goal of these laws is to prevent voter fraud—one person voting under another’s name,

casting multiple votes for the same candidate, voting in more than one election, or

voting as a noncitizen. However, no reputable study has found evidence of significant

voter fraud in American elections. Moreover, voter ID laws create barriers to voting for

individuals who lack an official ID—these individuals are generally poor and nonwhite

and disproportionately vote Democratic. While some supporters of voter ID laws may

be sincerely concerned about preventing fraud, research shows that enacting these

laws hurts Democratic candidates by lowering turnout from groups that are likely to

support them.^5

Presidential Elections

Many of the rules governing elections, such as who is eligible to vote, are the same for

both presidential and congressional elections. But presidential contests have several

unique rules regarding how nominees are determined and how votes are counted.

Moreover, the constitutional requirements for presidential candidates are also

somewhat stricter than those for congressional candidates (see Nuts & Bolts 9.1).

The Nomination: Primaries and Caucuses Presidential nominees from the

Democratic and Republican parties are determined by the outcomes of state-level

primaries and caucuses held over a five-month period beginning in January of an

election year.^6 Primary and caucus voters select a candidate, but their votes do not

count directly toward the election of that candidate; their votes instead count toward

the selection of delegates who have pledged to support the candidate, who then go

on to attend the party nominating conventions. There, the delegates cast votes that

determine their party’s presidential and vice-presidential nominees. The format of

these elections, including their timing and the number of delegates selected per state,

caucus

A local meeting in which party

members select a party’s nominee for

the general election.

Constitutional

Requirements

for Candidates

NUTS

& B O LT S

9.1

Office Minimum Age Residency Requirement

President 35 Natural-born citizen (born in the United States or on

U.S. territory, or child of citizen parent)

Senator 30 Resident of state; U.S. citizen for at least nine years

Representative 25 Resident of state; U.S. citizen for at least seven years

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