From caucuses to primaries, I found myself wondering where the candidates were headed next, and when we should all be taking the candidates seriously. I feel like a lot of people may be wondering where the rest of this political year is going, so I did some research and put together what to expect next.
On February 1, the political season opened with the Iowa Caucus. Clinton won this vote by a small fraction, and Ted Cruz took the win for the Republican Party. Almost immediately, the candidates were off to New Hampshire for a primary.
What is the difference between a primary and a caucus?
Thanks to FactCheck.org, I discovered a primary is a statewide, private voting process. A caucus is a gathering of local areas and people, and these people vote on their pick for who should run for President, and they vote on delegates. Once again, not sure what delegates are. A delegate is a person who is chosen to represent an opinion of their state. These people are chosen, and then when it comes time for the party elections, these delegates will vote for their state.
This past Tuesday, February 9, New Hampshire kicked off the primary season. This is the first primary election, and it is the second step in deciding who will be nominated by each party to run for President. It is thought that New Hampshire provides the general opinion of the New England region, while Iowa gives a voice for the Midwest and South Carolina, where the next primary will be, shows the general opinion of the South. Lastly is the Nevada election, which could be seen as representative of the South.
Both primary and caucus elections are happening all the time, and they both serve the same purpose. Each state must have a caucus or a primary to decide how many delegates will represent each candidate at the party elections. The more delegates a candidate has, the better their chances are of winning the party vote.
Where do we go from here?
The next election is the South Carolina Primary. Sanders and Trump reigned supreme at the New Hampshire Primary, and it will be interesting to see if this has set the tone for the rest of the country. Since these seem to never end, I found a schedule of all the states upcoming elections. Aside from the primaries and caucuses, the next thing to look out for are the Party Elections. This is where all of the voting at state primaries and caucuses come into play. The amount of delegates each candidate gains will ultimately decide who will run for President. Both parties, Republican and Democratic, will host their own elections to decide who the party wants to run for office. The Democratic National Convention will be held July 25-28, and the Republican National Convention will be July 18-21.
As confusing as politics can be, it is important for all of us to get out there, and remember to vote for who want to see in the White House.