How many things can you vote for in November (in the USA)?

[CaptainPanic]

I've heard that Americans can vote for more than just the president. You're also voting for a part of the house of representatives and senate (which together form the congress)? Is that a separate vote? (I mean, can you vote for a republican in the house of representatives, an independent in the senate, and Obama for president or something like that)?

 

And if you are registered as a republican voter, can you still vote for a democrat?

 

I've never understood why, in the primary elections, all democrats don't become a member of the republicans, and then vote for the softie-republican? Or why all republicans don't become a democrat member and vote for the hardliner-democrat? Can you be member of both republicans and democrats?

 

Lots of questions, I know. I'm just interested. And I couldn't find the answers on google/wikipedia easily. US elections have never mattered as much as these do. The US elections get more coverage on Dutch TV than our own elections normally get.

[I_Pwn_Crackpots]

You can be "undecided" as your political alignment. And yes, during elections you can vote for whoever you want.

[Phi for All]

We also voted for our individual state Senate and House, some county positions and some judges for both district and state Supreme courts. And there are usually some amendments and referendums to vote on, things that can change the state constitutions. Some of it is just clearing up archaic language, but some of it is an attempt by special interests to create markets to exploit.

 

In Colorado, we have a zealous family focus group who is trying to get an amendment passed to define life from the moment of conception. You can't afford to let these things slip by because the focused groups often have a bunch of manpower that can canvas on the state level.

[iNow]

I've never understood why, in the primary elections, all democrats don't become a member of the republicans, and then vote for the softie-republican? Or why all republicans don't become a democrat member and vote for the hardliner-democrat?

 

AFAIK, we're not allowed to vote in both party's primaries. It's one or the other. So, a vote for the "softie" on the other side is a vote lost for the "strong" one on yours.

 

You can vote for anybody you want, regardless of who you're registered with. You just can't vote for more than one. Colin Powell is a registered Republican, but he's voting Democrat this year.

 

 

"I didn't leave the Republican party. The Republican party left me."

[Pangloss]

I've never understood why, in the primary elections, all democrats don't become a member of the republicans, and then vote for the softie-republican? Or why all republicans don't become a democrat member and vote for the hardliner-democrat? Can you be member of both republicans and democrats?

 

Well voter registration is not the same thing as party membership, although the two do get confused in discussion and media stories all the time, even in self-declarations. I am registered as a Republican in the state of Florida, but I've never joined the Republican party or paid them any kind of dues. (shudder)

 

I could register as an independent, but that wouldn't allow me to vote in both party's primaries. You only get to vote in one or the other, so sure you could "switch" and vote in the "opposing" party's primary, but it's not considered anything like fraud, for example, because each voter's motivations are personal and private -- it's your prerogative.

 

All the party affiliations go out the window when we get to the general election, though. Everyone gets the same ballot, regardless of what party they're registered with for voting purposes. So you can vote for a Democrat for one office, a Republican for another, and an independent candidate in another race. Or you can just vote straight-party, usually with a single keypunch, click, lever-pull, etc.

 

Edit: I cross-posted with iNow but I just wanted to add that I, too, am registered as a Republican but voting Democrat in the presidential race this year. (In case that's not obvious, lol.) In my House race, though, I'll be voting for Republican Lincoln Diaz-Ballart, because his Democratic opponent was convicted of everything from bribery to conspiracy and a lot in between. (sigh)

[npts2020]

CaptainPanic: In the primaries during the spring (different dates for different states, hence the long time for deciding between clinton and obama) you may only vote for your own party candidates with a couple of exceptions (virginia allows cross-party voting during primaries, most don't). Sometimes people do exactly what you describe and vote for the worst of the other party but the numbers generally are supposed to be insignificant. In addition to president every 4 years, every member of the house of representitives must run for re-election every 2 years and senators every 6 years (or about 1/3 of the senate this year). Depending on your state and locality you may be voting for someone for everything from governor or (state) supreme court judge to prothonotary or town council representitive. Then you have ballot initiatives which may number from zero to a dozen or more and address almost any topic you can imagine government being involved in. Ballot initiatives generally only allow a yes or no vote. All of these things will be on a single ballot but you are not required to vote on everything (or even anything, there have been blank ballots turned in) but you may still only vote for one person for each vacant office (otherwise they disqualify your vote). Ballots will list the names of the candidate for any party, even third parties, that has met requirements for being listed (usually just collecting enough valid signatures on a petition) but you may also write in the name of anyone for any office if you wish to do so. I have never heard of a write-in candidate winning anywhere but the smallest of jurisdictions and under exceptional circumstances. I hope this brief summary helps.

[CaptainPanic]

Thanks a lot for all the answers. I understand the system a lot better now. These details, which I think are very important, are totally neglected in main stream media in the Netherlands(well, I can't blame our media, the presidential election is the most important for us). The US system is quite different from our own.