Jim Ellis
Published: March 3 2004
As Florida gears up for the presidential primary elections on March 9 and the presidential election on Nov. 2, some people are still unclear about many of the fundamental processes that elect the President of the United States. For a review of the basics, The Corsair consulted Michael Gilbert, assistant professor of history and political science.
Biographical Sketch:
Undergraduate degree:History , University of Southern Mississippi
Graduate Degree: Political Science, University of Southern Mississippi
Doctoral Studies:Vanderbilt University
Years at PJC: 14
Active Duty: 10 years, Marine Corps
Reserves: three years, Marine Corps Reserves
What are voting primaries and why do we have them?
A primary is a party election. The main reason for having a primary is so party members can pick candidates for office, whether it is for presidential primaries or whether it is for state and local primaries.
Florida, like most states, uses a closed primary system. That means that a voter has to be registered in that party to vote in that party’s primaries.
How was the order of the states in which caucuses/primaries are held, decided on (Iowa first, New Hampshire second, South Carolina third,etc.)?
Each state can set its own date in which it holds a caucus or a primary. In theory, every state could have its caucus/primary on the same day. The current system gives candidates the opportunity to campaign in specific states holding a caucus/primary and then move on to the next scheduled caucuses/primary.
What is the difference between a caucus and a primary?
A caucus is a meeting in which voters report to their precinct to hear spokesmen for each candidate speak. Towards the end of the caucus evening, an open vote is held, in which vote