Mock Presidential Election!!!The Road to the White House

A Classroom Simulation

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Selecting the Best Qualified CandidatesCaucus Simulation

One way candidates are selected is by Caucus

Republican Caucus

1. Nominate and list candidates.

2. Raise hand to show support

3. Calculate % won by each candidate

Democratic Caucus

1. Nominate and list candidates

2. Gather w/candidate you support

3. Calculate % (must have at least 15% or support another)

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After the caucuses, each party will have a convention to formally endorse their candidate for president. Then the Primary elections are held!

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Presidential Primaries

Open Primaries

In an open primary, voters are provided a choice of candidates from both parties.

Closed Primaries

In a closed primary, voters are provided ballots with only candidates from their own party.

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Quickwrite- Turn to someone sitting near you and briefly explain what a Caucus is. Then have them explain what a Primary is to you! Finally, together, analyze the Primary results (Red was the Open Primary, Blue tallies were for the closed primary). How are they different and why?

Remember to bring materials/ideas for your senior project on Friday December 10. We will spend some time reviewing and brainstorming and researching possibilities. Let’s plan to make some real progress.

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Yesterday we simulated the primary process in one state.

Now we will total the votes from several states.

• Choose a candidate from each of the parties on the board. (you are merely reporting possible state winners).

• When called upon tell me your choices.

Super TuesdaySuper Tuesday is when the most states have

primaries or caucuses.

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• Choose a candidate from each of the parties on the board. (you are merely reporting possible state winners).

• When called upon tell me your choices.

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Super Tuesday

• Now we will transfer the results from the various states.

• Help me tally the votes for each candidate by keeping a running total- that way when I finish, we will have a total!

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Party Conventions!!!We are getting closer to having a President!!!

• Both parties will meet at conventions late in the spring of election year.

• The Democratic candidate will need 2,181 delegates and the Republicans 1,259. Do any of our candidates have enough yet?

• If none of our candidates have enough delegates yet, then the party convention will determine a nominee through a series of votes at the convention.

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Electing a PresidentThe Electoral College

270 to Win

• After the primaries and the Conventions, then the general election begins.

• The campaigns shift into high gear as candidates try to garner the 270 Electoral votes needed to win!

• Presidents are elected by electoral votes.

• Each state has the number of electoral votes equal to their number of representatives in Congress (House plus Senate), so CA has 55!

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270 to Win!!!

• Electoral votes are awarded in a winner take all fashion. Whichever candidate wins the Popular vote in the state gets all of the electoral votes for that state.

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