Who decides who's on the ballot?
Have you ever looked at a ballot and wondered how you ended up with those choices? Let's back it up a few steps and see how it works.
Step 1: Caucuses
Voters gather according to party and voting precinct to elect local party leaders and delegates to state and county conventions. These meetings are all held on the same evening in March. (In 2008, party caucuses will be held on March 25.)
Step 2: Conventions
Sometime in the spring, the delegates who were elected at the caucuses attend county and state political conventions, where they vote for candidates to represent their party in the fall elections. If one candidate for a particular office receives 60% or more of the delegates' votes, that person's name will automatically appear on the November ballot. If no candidate receives 60% of the vote at the convention, the top two candidates are sent to a primary election.
Step 3: Primary Election
In a June primary election, voters choose between two candidates from the same party to determine who will participate in the November election.
Step 4: General Election
When voters go to the polls on the first Tuesday in November, many of the important decisions have already been made. Voters are only able to choose from among the candidates that have made it through party conventions and primaries.
Learn more about Utah's Caucuses: |