Hear the whole storyA new presidential election season starts this year.
President Barack Obama will run for a second term this fall. This is the last year of his first term. Republicans must choose who will run against him. They will do that in a series of state elections. These are called primaries and caucuses.
Primary or Caucus
Most states hold primaries. In a primary, voters go to polls n. voting places. They fill out secret ballots n. voting cards or use voting machines. They don’t have to tell anyone who they voted for. At the end of the day, the votes are counted.
A caucus is a public meeting. Each meeting is held in a large room. The room is often in a school or church. People stand in groups according to which candidate they support. Everyone can see which candidate each person supports. Then the number of people in each group is counted.
Up to this point, most caucuses are held this way.
In most states, only Republicans will vote this winter and spring. Some states have open primaries. That means independent voters can cast ballots, too.
Who Votes When
The season is off to a quick start. Iowa has already held its caucus meetings. They were on January 3. New Hampshire holds its primary on January 10. South Carolina and Florida come next, on January 21 and January 31. Nevada will hold a caucus on February 4.
Many of these early contests are key. Candidates must do well to stay in the race. Those who don’t do well can have trouble raising funds. They may be forced to drop out (phrasal verb) withdraw.
"Super Tuesday" is on March 6. Eleven states will hold primaries or caucuses on that date. The rest of the states will follow through June.
After the Primary or Caucus
Each contest gives those who run a certain number of delegates. Some states give the winner all of them. The delegates promise to vote for that person at a summer convention. That is where the person who will run against Obama is chosen.
Only One Will be the Nominee
The Republican Party is also known as the GOP. That stands for "Grand Old Party." Listed below are the candidates who hope to face Obama in the fall:
Mitt Romney is the former governor of Massachusetts. He also ran for the GOP nomination in 2008. John McCain won the spot.
Newt Gingrich was the Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999. He left the House that year.
Rick Perry is the governor of Texas. He has held the office for 11 years.
Ron Paul represents Texas in the House. He was also a doctor.
Michele Bachmann is a House member from Minnesota. She is the first Republican woman to represent that state in Congress.
Jon Huntsman was picked by Obama to be the ambassador n. official sent by one country as a representative to another to China. He quit the post in April to enter the race. He also was the governor of Utah.
Rick Santorum is a former House representative and senator from Pennsylvania.
I hope obama wins. I never vote for Republican.
I hope obama will win
I wil vote for obama
very useful passage
I like the sistem
The primaries issue is tnhaoer distraction to pretend the factional bosses are really doing something other than strengthen their own co-operative grips on power. The nonsense of re-vitalising Branches by giving pre-selection rights to NON-Party, NON-Branch members is patently hypocritical; but the deals done among the various career-inspired NON-Ideological programmes sponsored by leaders of what pass for factions is rarely challenged because our Party has developed a form of democratic centralism which would have earned the admiration of old-time Stalinists.For decades factional leaders from other States wanted NSW to get rid of its Local Branch based rank and file pre-selections. Because P.R. enables the factional bosses to protect one tnhaoer's career interests (while they do deals behind closed doors which ensure not only that career prospects are shared as the bosses deem fit, but also that genuine debate of issues doesn’t occur at State or National Conference levels) it’s been in the interest of factional bosses to run down Local A.L.P. Branches. And current “reforms†continue the process. To make matters worse, on the track record of our “leadersâ€, IF there is anything worthwhile in the final package, like sound ideas in past reform proposals, they may well not be carried out anyway.
i hope Obama wins
I hop President Obama bets every one
great story to know about voting in a primaries or caucus meeting
I want Obama to win again he deserves a 2nd chance!!!!!
Story is very interesting and useful. No matter who wins. But the winner must be loyal to the citizens.
I think this is a very important story and everbody should take the time to read this story. That way we'll do the right pick this time around. Hopefuling who ever is picked will do the right thing for our Country......
I have gainned knowlege from this story
i like this story very much but i hope who ever they pick to run against obama will be just as postive as he was
This story was interesting. But I would never vote for a Republican.
I don't know who i am voting for too
I think this story it is important, because every canditants want to defeat obama, and i support Obama because he is a good president, and he need to won again
I hope so Mr. Barack Obama will won again no matter what....
Great! I wish Mr.Obama will won again!
Hi-My name is Xavier and I don't know what to write because I am not very excited about the people that much.
who will run against obama?
It is very important for the race against the president on 2012
what i think about this one is just that the story is telling me something about federal representatives, and capitalism of justices.
I think this is an important story.I don't know who I am voting for.
