When election nears November 2008, is that where the primary election comes in or what? Explain please? Thanks!
2007-03-22 15:18:53 · 4 answers · asked by Butterfly 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Elections
When is the general and Primary election held?
2007-03-22 15:29:21 · update #1
Primary elections are those elections where voters vote on the candidate they want to represent their party. Every state has their own primary election which the earliest ones start in February of which Iowa will be the first state to do so. Every state has one and whichever candidates wins the most votes in the primaries will become the party's candidate. There is a republican primary and a democratic primary. A voter can vote in only one or the other, but however a voter votes, does not commit them to vote for that particular party's candidate in the general election.
General elections are those elections where voters vote on either the Dem, the Repub, or the independent candidate. These candidates are the winners of the primary elections. The general elections are the ones held in November.
2007-03-22 17:57:25 · answer #1 · answered by JoJo 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
General elections are those where the votes actually produce a legally binding result -- election of a candidate, voting on a binding referendum, etc.
A primary has no legal meaning. It's nothing more than one particular group asking its members who should get their endorsement. Just like when the Sierra Club or the NRA decides to endorse a candidate.
Yet, somehow, the two major political parties (Democrat and Republican) have managed to convince the taxpayers to pay for their organizations private endorsement poll.
2007-03-22 15:22:51 · answer #2 · answered by coragryph 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You may have noticed that each of the two major parties have several people who want to be President. In order to narrow the field to one candidate each party can nominate they use elections called primaries or caucuses to weed out the candidates party members want to represent them in the general election. They are officially nominated during the party conventions. Next year the party conventions will be in August and September. At the convention the presidential nominee selects a running mate who would be the vice president.
2007-03-22 15:24:42 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The primary decides which TWO of all the candidates will ultimately run for president.
2007-03-22 15:30:06 · answer #4 · answered by Bistro 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋