In the United States, we use two different types of presidential elections. The elections form a two-step process and are used together to determine the winner. The first of these is the primary election. This election serves as a party nomination for the political office. The primary elections serve as the preliminary step in the process of selecting the United States president.
Each political party holds a primary election. The winner of a party's primary election goes on to represent that party in the presidential election. After a primary winner is determined, the political party will officially nominate that winner at the party's national convention. This is simply a political party's official meeting, where a presidential candidate will be nominated. The Democratic and Republican national conventions are typically held the summer of an election year. The conventions are normally large, televised events.
For example, let's say that Roe, Roberts and Ramey are all Republican presidential candidates. These three candidates will first run against each other in the Republican primary election. The winner will be officially nominated at the Republican national convention and go on to represent the Republican Party in the presidential election.
Each political party is allowed only one candidate in the presidential election. Therefore, the primary election is the means to determine the party's one official presidential candidate.
a regular election of candidates for office, as opposed to a primary election.a regular election for statewide or national offices.
