Presidential Primaries

Types of Primaries

Presidential primaries can be classified into two types: binding primaries and presidential preference contests, or “beauty contests.” In states with primaries, nearly all have adopted binding primaries, where voters elect delegates who are legally bound to vote for a candidate they declared prior to the primary date. In some states, election results bind all delegates, whereas in other states, party organizations select some of the delegates who are not bound by the results of the primary.

In presidential preference contests, voters choose the candidate they prefer. This preference vote does not result in the directc selection of any delegates. In some states, voters choose delegates and candidates. Both parties have rules to designate superdelegates who are not legally bound by the results of the primary results. Of the 4,353 delegates to the 2004 Democratic National Convention, 830 (19 percent) were superdelegates. Designating superdelegates is the party organizations' attempt to retain some influence in the nominating process.

In the early 20th century, progressive leaders thought that direct primaries could be used in presidential nominations. Because direct primaries have been instrumental in removing power from the vested interests that controlled state and local nominations, progressives sought similar results in adopting direct primaries for presidential nominations. They believed that, in time, the national party convention's sole function would be to ratify the choice of the voters in state primaries. Even though the first presidential primaries emerged in the early 20th century, it was not until 1972 that presidential primaries became the dominant method. By 1916, 25 states had passed presidential primary laws. However, the time between the World Wars saw an ebb when eight states repealed primary laws and candidates largely ignored primary campaigning. It was only after 1968 that the number of primary states jumped from 15 to 33, in just three presidential elections. The percentage of delegates selected in the presidential primary states jumped from 37 percent in 1968 to 72 percent in 1976. By 2000, 41 states held presidential primaries.

Until the proliferation of primaries in the late 1960s, a presidential candidate ignoring presidential primaries could hope that the national convention would still choose him or her as the party's candidate, perhaps as a compromise candidate if the convention was deadlocked. However, since 1972, it has become virtually impossible for a candidate to win the nomination without campaigning and winning in the primaries. In fact, since Hubert Humphrey secured the nomination despite several primary victories for Eugene McCarthy, the candidate who was the most successful in primaries has been nominated at the national convention. Thus, from the 1960s to 1980, the presidential nomination process was gradually transformed from a closed system dominated by party leaders to a popular, open system that gave more power to candidate organizations and rank-and-file voters.

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