Voter Turnout in Presidential Nominating Contests
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Michael P. McDonald
Michael P. McDonald is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida.
and
Thessalia Merivaki
Thessalia Merivaki is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of Florida.
Abstract
Presidential elections are conducted in two stages. The November general election is proceeded by a series of contests where delegates are selected to national party conventions, which is where the parties select their candidates for the fall election. These nominating contests’ political environments vary: the rules regarding who can participate; the levels of electoral competition, which are related to when they are held; and that other offices present on the ballot, if any. We explore the effects of these conditions on voter participation in recent presidential contests and generally find turnout highest in competitive and inclusive contests where other offices are on the ballot. Examining the 2008 American National Election Panel Study, we find primary voters are more ideologically extreme than general election voters, but there is little difference between voters in closed and open primary states. We suggest primary type has little effect on the ideological composition of the electorate because modern nomination contests are low turnout elections that draw only the most politically interested.
About the authors
Michael P. McDonald is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida.
Thessalia Merivaki is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at the University of Florida.
©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Why Trump – and How Far Can He Go?
- The Enduring Relevance of National Presidential Nominating Conventions
- Fact-Checking Polarized Politics: Does The Fact-Check Industry Provide Consistent Guidance on Disputed Realities?
- Voter Turnout in Presidential Nominating Contests
- Nuclear Fallout: Investigating the Effect of Senate Procedural Reform on Judicial Nominations
- Book reviews
- Legislative Effectiveness in the United States Congress: The Lawmakers
- America’s Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix our Broken Healthcare System
- Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks and American Policy Change Since 1945
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introduction
- Why Trump – and How Far Can He Go?
- The Enduring Relevance of National Presidential Nominating Conventions
- Fact-Checking Polarized Politics: Does The Fact-Check Industry Provide Consistent Guidance on Disputed Realities?
- Voter Turnout in Presidential Nominating Contests
- Nuclear Fallout: Investigating the Effect of Senate Procedural Reform on Judicial Nominations
- Book reviews
- Legislative Effectiveness in the United States Congress: The Lawmakers
- America’s Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix our Broken Healthcare System
- Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks and American Policy Change Since 1945
