Primaries

• Primaries are similar to general elections in that voters go to a polling location and cast a ballot. In local elections, voters may vote directly for a candidate. During presidential elections, primary votes are allocated to delegates. Delegates act as candidate representatives at the national conventions and vote to choose the nominee.
  
  

Caucuses

• Caucuses are meetings of party members, often held in schools, homes, and town halls, where delegates are selected following a discussion of the candidates. Delegates selected in caucuses then act the same as ones selected through primaries. The caucus format is more time consuming than primaries and requires a higher level of participation from voters.
  
  

Nominating Process History

• The caucus was the original nominating system, dating back to the early nineteenth century. Early on, it was limited to party leaders with no participation by the general populace. Until the 1970s it was the system used by most states and was dominated by party organizers.
  
  

Primary Adoption

• In 1904 Florida was the first state to adopt the primary as a way to select delegates. A limited number of states followed in 1912. The primary gained popularity in 1972 as a way to increase citizen participation in the selection of delegates.
  
  

McGovern-Fraser Commission

• The Democratic Party, following the 1968 presidential election, created the McGovern-Fraser Commission to look at ways to open the nominating process to the party's rank-and-file members. Following the commission's recommendations, the Democratic Party switched from caucuses to primaries in many states. The Republican Party soon followed.
  
  

Modern Nominating Process

• As of 2003, primaries are held in 36 states and caucuses in 14 states plus the District of Columbia. Iowa's caucus is the first nominating event of the national election season and the most well-known because candidates concentrate resources in the state in order to gain attention to carry to future contests.
  
  

Mixed Systems

• Some state parties use both the primary and caucus to select delegates. The Arizona Republican Party holds a primary followed by a district-level caucus. The Texas Democratic Party selects 70 percent of its delegates through a primary and 30 percent through a caucus.