Primaries and Caucuses
In Australia each party internally chooses its national leader. In America citizens vote for presidential candidates to serve as the Democratic and Republican parties' presidential nominees. Within each party, a field of candidates compete against one another to secure their party's nomination.
To win a nomination, a candidate must gain the majority of their party's delegates.
- 2 118 delegates are needed to secure the Democrat's nomination
- 1 191 delegates are needed to secure the Republican's nomination
The difference in the numbers shows that each of the political parties has its own internal requirements for choosing a nominee.
Each state holds a primary or caucus to award its delegates to the candidates. The number of delegates from each state is based on the state's population. California, with a population of about 36.5 million, has the largest share of delegates for a candidate to win in the primaries. Voters in primaries and caucuses generally have to be registered as a member of either the Republican or Democratic parties. Legal voting age is 18 in the US. A small number of states such as Washington and Ohio allow independent voters to participate or permit members of one party to vote in the opposition's primary.
Primaries and caucuses are held beginning in January of an election year and run through to June. The nomination process is completed in late August or early September when each party selects a nominee at their convention. In 2008:
- 41 states and territories held primaries
- 16 states and territories held caucuses
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Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Texas and Washington have both primaries and caucuses
2008 Primary Season Fast Facts
- 19.1 million Americans cast ballots in the Democratic primaries and caucuses
- 13.1 million Americans cast ballots in the Republican primaries and caucuses
- Obama spent over $74 million and McCain spent over $12 million on advertising for the primaries
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