2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

South Carolina Republican Primary Results By County

County Name	Giuliani	Huckabee	Hunter	McCain	Paul	Romney	Thompson
ABBEVILLE	11	905	2	540	102	207	355
AIKEN	432	5,893	36	6,355	817	2,636	2,078
ALLENDALE	11	113	0	230	18	36	40
ANDERSON	192	8,434	43	5,985	765	2,592	2,976
BAMBERG	9	265	1	341	25	76	71
BARNWELL	32	611	1	700	46	104	111
BEAUFORT	1,052	3,115	12	7,950	347	4,819	1,583
BERKELEY	315	3,989	46	5,834	525	2,247	2,227
CALHOUN	18	480	1	503	53	164	218
CHARLESTON	1,254	5,574	65	15,155	1,447	6,480	4,174
CHEROKEE	45	1,827	8	1,213	171	507	767
CHESTER	21	709	3	483	72	123	386
CHESTERFIELD	23	1,078	8	624	49	165	254
CLARENDON	26	844	1	817	50	270	319
COLLETON	44	815	8	1,311	110	285	338
DARLINGTON	60	2,272	3	1,513	130	634	514
DILLON	13	650	1	416	25	113	136
DORCHESTER	323	3,060	39	5,237	499	2,220	1,989
EDGEFIELD	50	895	8	853	90	284	341
FAIRFIELD	24	439	1	502	52	224	259
FLORENCE	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
GEORGETOWN	202	1,436	12	2,580	108	1,343	905
GREENVILLE	887	16,775	239	15,297	2,930	10,188	12,438
GREENWOOD	97	2,295	25	2,262	220	847	1,057
HAMPTON	18	352	0	337	17	59	65
HORRY	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
JASPER	28	440	1	347	21	142	83
KERSHAW	85	2,165	14	2,514	238	861	991
LANCASTER	90	1,968	18	1,288	163	500	978
LAURENS	55	2,256	13	1,893	213	520	1,012
LEE	10	311	2	284	28	59	143
LEXINGTON	659	9,935	52	11,448	1,117	5,646	5,605
MCCORMICK	33	237	5	411	21	231	181
MARION	19	637	2	575	31	174	183
MARLBORO	10	304	0	255	25	78	82
NEWBERRY	60	918	4	1,468	102	496	659
OCONEE	120	3,048	5	3,315	321	1,205	1,020
ORANGEBURG	60	1,449	7	1,806	149	501	603
PICKENS	153	5,764	36	4,062	698	1,436	2,480
RICHLAND	758	6,236	44	10,955	1,044	5,494	4,068
SALUDA	19	589	1	778	73	200	279
SPARTANBURG	482	10,297	139	8,232	1,129	3,974	5,893
SUMTER	108	2,931	6	2,506	164	935	1,290
UNION	10	859	5	540	58	167	416
WILLIAMSBURG	13	581	0	676	18	113	118
YORK	478	7,440	68	4,951	812	2,225	4,661
Totals	8,409	121,191	985	135,342	15,093	61,580	64,346
	2%	30%	0%	33%	4%	15%	16%

Nevada Republican Caucus FAQ's

Nevada Republican Caucus FAQ's

1. What is a caucus?

A caucus is a gathering of neighbors and friends who get together to discuss politics, elect delegates and alternates to the county convention, submit issues to be discussed and voted on for the county platform, and cast their vote for the Presidential candidate of their choice.

2. What’s the difference between a caucus and a primary?

There are many differences between a caucus and a primary. To begin with, you will be voting for delegates and alternates to the county convention in addition to casting a vote for President. Also you must physically attend your precinct caucus in January. Absentee voting and early voting is not allowed. And unlike our primaries, you can only vote at the caucus location in your neighborhood. The Nevada Republican Party will be mailing each Republican voter in the state a postcard specifying their caucus location. Precinct caucus locations will also be published in the newspaper and will be available at the State Party’s website.

3. Why is the election of delegates and alternates at the caucus so important?

The reason the election of delegates and alternates is important is because the Republican nominee for President is chosen by the delegates at the Republican National Convention. In Nevada, the process to become a national delegate begins with getting elected as a delegate at the precinct caucuses.

All Delegates and alternate delegates elected at the precinct caucus will meet in March at their county convention. The county convention will then elect delegates and alternates to represent them at the State Convention in April. And it’s at the State Convention where the delegates and alternates get elected to the Republican National Convention in September.

Since delegates generally vote for other delegates who support the same candidate as they do, it’s advantageous for a candidate to elect as many people as possible as delegates at the precinct caucuses. The more delegates a candidate has after the precinct caucuses in January, the greater the chance they will have the most delegates from Nevada to the National Convention in September.

4. Is this my only chance to vote for my favorite Republican Presidential candidate or can I wait and vote in the primary?

The January Nevada caucuses will be the only chance you’ll have for voting for your favorite Republican Presidential candidate. Presidential candidates will not be on the ballot in Nevada’s August primary.

5. Who can participate in Nevada’s Republican caucuses?

If you are currently registered as a Republican in Nevada you are already eligible to participate. If you are a new resident to Nevada or if you are planning to change your party affiliation to Republican you will need to register 30 days prior to the caucus in order to participate.

Also, if you are seventeen years old and will be eighteen years old on or before November 4, 2008, you will be welcome to participate when you register as a Republican.

6. What happens at a Republican caucus?

If you will be attending your first caucus and aren’t sure how it works, don’t worry, the vast majority of your fellow Republican caucus goers will be attending their first caucus as well. Outlined below are the seven steps each precinct caucus will take:

Sign In: A local volunteer will verify that you are a registered Republican and will check you in

Elect a Caucus Chair and Secretary: Usually the local volunteer that checked you in is elected as Caucus Chair. The caucus secretary will assist the chair.

Election of Delegates: Each precinct will be allotted a specific number of delegates to the county convention based on the number of registered Republicans in the precinct. Anyone may run as a delegate and the top vote getters are automatically elected.

Election of Alternates: Alternates will vote at the county convention when a delegate is unable to attend or has to leave the county convention early.

Turn in Platform Issues: If you have an issue you want considered for inclusion into the county’s platform you must submit it at the caucus. Your platform issue will be debated and voted on at the county convention.

Supporters of Each Candidate Speak: One supporter of each candidate running for President is given a few minutes to explain why the caucus attendees should support their candidate.

Vote: Caucus attendees will then vote in a Presidential Preference Poll immediately after all speeches have been given. These results will be released to the media later in the day.

Nevada Democratic Caucus FAQ's

Nevada Democratic Caucus FAQ's

What is a caucus?

A caucus is a gathering of neighbors who meet to discuss grassroots politics. Democrats will join with others in their precinct to pledge their support for their favorite presidential candidate and thereby award delegates to the candidates.

Caucuses are different than primaries because caucus participants do more than just support a candidate for president – they also participate in other party business such as electing delegates to the county convention and submitting resolutions to the party platform to be considered by the platform committee at the county convention.  The caucus is also the first step a Democrat needs to take in order to become a delegate to the national convention, which will be held in Denver, Colorado, in 2008.
Read more...

What a caucus is not:
A caucus is not a primary election.  Caucus participants do not vote by pulling a lever or filling out a ballot.  Caucus participants express their support for the candidate(s) of their choice at a meeting open to all registered Democrats in their precinct.

What happens at a caucus?
Nevada has held caucuses since the 1960s, but this will be the state’s earliest and most significant caucus.  The eyes of the nation will be on Nevada on Jan. 19, 2008, as Nevada is the second state in the nation to hold a caucus to express preferences for a presidential nominee.  Thousands of national and local media outlets will be watching closely and waiting on that Saturday to report the results of Nevada’s caucus.
Read more...

How is the caucus done?
At a set time, Democrats will indicate which candidate they support and the precinct caucus chair will announce which candidates have the most support and which candidates do not have enough support to meet the “viability” threshold.

Caucus systems are not set up to be a one person one vote system.  Rather, they are designed to allocate delegates to only those candidates with a threshold of support that is based on the number of people participating in a caucus.  Meeting the minimum level of support is called “viability” and whether or not a candidate has enough support determines whether they meet the “threshold” to continue.  Caucus participants who support a candidate who is not viable and has not met the threshold of support to continue, realign themselves with their second choice candidate.  If a caucus participant does not have a second choice candidate, then he or she simply continues in the process in an uncommitted group.
Read more...

How Is Viability Determined?
In order to be entitled to elect delegates to the county convention, groups must have a certain minimum number of eligible caucus attendees in their group.

* There can be no more viable preference groups than there are delegates to elect from a particular precinct. If there are, the smallest groups must re-align until the # of groups equals the # of delegates to elect from that precinct.

Read more...

Why is Nevada so important now?

In August, 2006 the Democratic National Committee voted to include Nevada as the second state in the nation to hold a presidential caucus for several reasons:

First, it is important for Democrats to reach out to Western states in order to win the White House.  Democrats have done very well in Western states recently, including in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Montana.  Democrats in the West believe that a candidate who can win in the West can win the White House.
Read more...

Where will my caucus be held?

You won't have to travel very far. The meetings will be held in a school, library, community center, church, or some other public building.

What does it feel like to go to a caucus?
You should feel right at home. You will be meeting with your neighbors, so you'll know some of them. If you are new to Nevada, it is a great opportunity to meet your neighbors and have a chance to have an impact on politics - on what issues the party will stand for and what presidential candidates believe.

Many caucus participants leave feeling good about the fact they have participated in a democratic exercise that determines who the next President of the United States will be.

Is there a way to vote early or cast an absentee vote?

No.  Participants must caucus on Jan. 19, 2008.

Does it cost anything to participate?

No.  Anyone can caucus, as long as he or she is registered as a Democrat. Participants are able to register as Democrats the day of the caucus.

Who Can Attend a Precinct Caucus?
·  Precinct caucuses are open meetings.  Anyone can attend and observe, but only registered Democrats (including 17 year olds who will be 18 by November 4, 2008 and register as Democrats) can participate.

Who Can Participate?

All participants must be Democrats registered to vote in the precinct. A list of registered Democrats will be available at the caucuses. If you are not on the list and are not registered to vote, you will be able to register as a Democrat at the caucus.
Read more...

How Are Delegates Elected?

Once preference groups are viable, the caucus chair will use the following formula to allocate the number of delegates for each preference group.

Delegate Apportionment:  Delegates to be elected at the Caucus shall be divided according to each group's size.  The following formula shall apply:

Number of eligible attendees in a preference group  X  Number of Delegates to be elected from that Precinct Caucus

Divided by:  Total number of eligible caucus attendees

Equals:  Number of delegates to be elected by that group

*Round fractions UP at .5 and DOWN at less than .5 when apportioning delegates.
Read more...

Nevada’s Caucus
In general, the caucuses are a great way to have your voice heard.  Your support for a candidate and your ideas about what the party platform should look like are an important part of the whole process and is really grassroots politics at its best.  Coming together with your neighbors in a collective attempt to express your choice for the presidential nominee is a wonderful part of the democratic process.

South Carolina Presidential Primary FAQs

South Carolina Presidential Primary FAQs

Q. What do I need to take with me to the polls to vote?

A. You will be required to show any one of three forms of identification in order to vote: voter registration card, driver's license, or a picture ID issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

If you registered to vote by mail after January 1, 2004, are voting for the first time since that registration, and did not submit a form of identification along with your application, you will be required to show ID at the polls in addition to your voter registration card. Acceptable forms of this additional ID include: a valid photo ID or a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck or other government document that shows the voter's name and address in the county.

Q. Where do I vote?

A. Your precinct and polling place are listed on your voter registration card. However, polling places change from time to time and some counties have consolidated polling places specifically for the presidential primaries. Your precinct is the geographical area you live in; your polling place is the location where you vote.

To find your polling place:

-If you know the name of your precinct, go to www.SCVotes.org and use the online polling place locator. (Your precinct is listed on your voter registration card.)

-If you do not know the name of your precinct, go to www.SCVotes.org and use the "Check Your Voter Registration" tool found under "Voters" in the menu.

-Voters may also call their county voter registration office to find their polling place.

Q. I've lost my voter registration card. Can I still vote?

A. Voters can also use their driver's license or a DMV issued photo ID. Voters may also go to the voter registration office on Election Day and get a duplicate card.

Q. Why can't I vote in both primaries?

A. State law prohibits voters from voting in more than one party's presidential primary.

Q. I've moved since the last election and haven't updated by voter registration card. Can I still vote?

A. If the voter...

1. ...has moved to another residence within his precinct, he can vote a regular ballot but must fill out a change of address form.

2. ...has moved to a different precinct within his county, he is eligible vote a fail-safe ballot.

3. ...moved to another residence in another county within 30 days of the primary, he is eligible to vote a fail-safe ballot.

4. ...moved to another residence in another county prior to 30 days before the primary, he is not eligible to vote.

Two Options for Voting Fail-safe:

1. The voter may vote at the polling place in his previous precinct using a fail-safe ballot.

2. The voter may go to the voter registration office in the county in which he currently resides, change his address, and vote there.

Q. I saw a candidate/member of candidate's campaign at my polling place talking to voters. Can he do that?

A. Yes, but there are restrictions:

-Inside the polling place: No campaigning is allowed. Candidates may be inside the polling place and talk to voters as long as they are not campaigning, intimidating voters, or interfering with the election process.

-Within 200 feet of an entrance to a polling place: No campaign literature or political posters are allowed. Candidates are allowed to wear a badge containing the candidate's name and office sought. Candidates must remove their badge upon entering a polling place. Candidates and campaign staff may campaign.

-Outside 200 feet of an entrance to a polling place: does not fall under the jurisdiction of the poll clerk.

Q. A candidate is definitely campaigning while in the polling place, or there is campaign literature within 200 feet of the entrance. What can I do?

A. Inform the poll clerk immediately. If the issue is not resolved, contact the county election commission and inform them of the situation. The election commission will address the complaint.

Q. Can candidates or their representatives take people to the polls to vote?

A. Yes.

Q. Will there be a runoff if no one gets a majority of the votes?

A. No. There are no runoffs in presidential primaries.

Q. When/where will results be reported?

A. Unofficial results will be reported at www.SCVotes.org by statewide, county, precinct, and Congressional district. Unofficial results will be reported as soon as we receive them from each county.

Q. Do employers have to give you time off to vote?

A. No. There is no state or federal law mandating that employers must give time off to employees to cast their vote. Voters who know they will not be able to visit the polls on Election Day should apply to vote absentee before the day of the election.

Q. When is a recount necessary?

A. Whenever the difference between any candidate declared nominated and any other candidate not declared nominated is 1% or less of the total votes cast for all candidates in that particular race, a recount is mandatory. (7-17-280)

Q. Are there any laws about candidates posting their signs along the roadway?

A. Yes, there are several state laws addressing political signs on roadways, as well as county and municipal ordinances. See SC Code of Laws Sections 57-25-10, 57-25-140, and 7-25-210. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the entity that maintains the road (state, county, and municipality) to enforce applicable sign laws.

Q. When I left the polls, I was asked to participate in an "exit poll." Is this legal?

A. Exit polls are legal and participation is voluntary. They are NOT conducted by the State Election Commission or the county election commissions. Generally, polls may not be conducted inside the polling place, and we ask that voters not be approached before they have voted. If a voter feels threatened or intimidated, it should be reported immediately to the precinct's poll clerk.

2008 Presidential Primary Calendar

2008 Presidential Primary Calendar

Date
State
Party
Primary/Caucus

January 19
Nevada
D&R
Caucuses

South Carolina
R
Primary

January 25
Hawaii
R
Caucuses (1/25-2/7)

January 26
South Carolina
D
Primary

January 29
Florida
D&R
Primary

February 1
Maine
R
Caucuses (2/1-2/3)

February 5
Alabama
D&R
Primary

Alaska
D&R
Caucuses

Arizona
D&R
Primary

Arkansas
D&R
Primary

California
D&R
Primary

Colorado
D&R
Caucuses

Connecticut
D&R
Primary

Delaware
D&R
Primary

Georgia
D&R
Primary

Idaho
D
Caucuses

Illinois
D&R
Primary

Kansas
D
Caucuses

Massachusetts D&R Primary

Minnesota
D&R
Caucuses

Missouri
D&R
Primary

Montana
R
Caucuses

New Jersey
D&R
Primary

New Mexico
D
Primary

New York
D&R
Primary

North Dakota
D&R
Caucuses

Oklahoma
D&R
Primary

Tennessee
D&R
Primary

Utah
D&R
Primary

West Virginia
R
State convention

February 9
Kansas
R
Caucses

Louisiana
D&R
D-Primary; R-Caucuses

Nebraska
D
Caucuses

Washington
D&R
Caucuses

February 10
Maine
D
Caucuses

February 12
District of Columbia
D&R
D-Caucuses; R-Primary

Maryland
D&R
Primary

Virginia
D&R
Primary

February 19
Hawaii
D
Caucuses

Wisconsin
D&R
Primary

March 4
Rhode Island
D&R
Primary

Ohio
D&R
Primary

Texas
D&R
Primary

Vermont
D&R
Primary

March 8
Wyoming
D
Caucuses

March 11
Mississippi
D&R
Primary

April 22
Pennsylvania
D&R
Primary

May 6
Indiana
D&R
Primary

North Carolina
D&R
Primary

May 13
Nebraska
R
Advisory-only primary

West Virginia
D
Primary

May 20
Kentucky
D&R
Primary

Oregon
D&R
Primary

May 27
Idaho
D&R
D-Non-binding primary; R-Primary

June 3
Montana
D
Primary

New Mexico
R
Primary

South Dakota
D&R
Primary

June 28
Nebraska
R
State Convention

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION POLITICAL CALENDAR

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTION POLITICAL CALENDAR January 8, 2008

December 8, 2007 – Last day for Secretary of State to have federal overseas citizen ballots delivered to clerks. RSA 657:10

December 11, 2007 – Last day for supervisors to post copy of checklist for primary in the town or city clerk’s office or at town or city hall; notice of day, place, hour of upcoming checklist session must be posted with checklist. RSA 654:26, 27

December 22, 2007 – Last day to publish notice of December 29 session for correction of checklist. RSA 654:27

December 26, 2007 – Last day for supervisors to prepare and post checklist for additional polling place; checklist must be posted in town or city clerk’s office or at town or city hall and 2 copies to be filed with clerk. RSA 658:12; 652:18

December 29, 2007 – Session for correction of checklist to be held as a minimum requirement between 11:00 - 11:30 a.m. and at the discretion of the supervisors for extended hours. RSA 654:27, 28.
Last day for town clerk/supervisors to accept voter registration applications. No additions or corrections shall be made to the checklist after this session, until election day, except as provided in RSA 659:12. RSA 654:8, II.
Reports of transfer, reports of death, removal of names allowed. RSA 654:36,37,44.

December 31, 2007 -- Last day for Secretary of State to deliver ballots to clerks. Ballots shall be inspected by town or city clerk in the presence of at least one other legal voter and resealed for use on election day. RSA 656:22.

January 4, 2008 – Last day for supervisors to post final corrected checklist and certification of checklist. RSA 654:28,29.

January 7, 2008 5:00 p.m. – City or town clerk must be available to accept any completed absentee ballots filed in person at least between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. RSA 652:20; 657:22.

January 8, 2008 Presidential Primary Election Day. Voters may register at the polls on election day. RSA 653:8; 654:7-a, 7-b
5:00 p.m. – Deadline for clerks to accept any completed absentee ballots that come through the mail. RSA 657:22.

January 11, 2008 – Last day for any candidate for whom a vote was cast in a primary to apply to Secretary of State for recount. RSA 660:7.

Dawson announces First-in-the-South Presidential Primary Date in New Hampshire

Dawson announces First-in-the-South Presidential Primary Date in New Hampshire

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson today announced the First-in-the-South Republican Party Presidential Primary will be held in South Carolina on Saturday, January 19, 2008. In the Executive Council Chambers of the New Hampshire State House in Concord, Dawson hand delivered a letter to New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, notifying him of the primary date.

“The stakes couldn't be higher in this election,” said Dawson. “I am proud to be here in New Hampshire to announce our primary date and to solidify a combined 83-year history of our two states being First-In-The-Nation and First-In-The-South – this election cycle and for years to come.”

The South Carolina Republican Party’s First-In-The-South Presidential Primary has grown in significance over time. Since 1980, no candidate has won the Republican nomination for president without winning South Carolina’s Republican primary. Republicans running for president in 2008 know South Carolina Republicans pick presidents and have already begun to focus on the state’s voters more than ever.

“In our two states, presidential politics is about much more than 30-second television ads and clever sound bytes,” said Dawson. “New Hampshire and South Carolina voters are lucky enough to meet the candidates face-to-face and actually get to know the next President of the United States. All the candidates campaign hard across our two states because they know they must come shake our hands and look us square in the eye if they want our votes.”

FEC Introduces Online Map to Track Presidential Campaign Contributions

FEC Introduces Online Map to Track Presidential Campaign Contributions

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) now has a new, interactive map on its web site (http://www.fec.gov) that displays individual contributions to the 2008 Presidential candidates. With a simple click of the mouse, a user can highlight on the map the amount of money raised on a state-by-state basis.  Users also have the option of viewing contributions to specific candidates, all candidates or all candidates from a political party.  The map conveniently displays the total contributions to each candidate, along with their cash on hand and the distribution of their contributions by amount.

Users may select to view contributions in specific states.  The map lists contributors by name, city, amounts of donations and dates within the first three digits of their zip code. These lists can be sorted and downloaded to a spreadsheet format.

The map represents another step by the FEC to share campaign finance information with the public.  The FEC map will be updated within one day of the agency’s receipt of electronically-filed Presidential disclosure reports.  The next Presidential campaign finance reports must be filed by July 15.   Commenting on this new online search capability, FEC Chairman Robert Lenhard said: “This new online tool underscores our commitment to the public to disclose campaign finance information in a timely and easily understood manner.”

George Will References The 4President.org Website In His Latest Column

What Voters Want: Competence

By George F. Will
Sunday, June 3, 2007; Page B07

"Accepting the 1988 Democratic nomination, Gov. Michael Dukakis, a carrier of Massachusetts's political culture, allowed his fervent hope to be the father of his surmise when he said, "This election is not about ideology. It's about competence."

Republican Party Of Iowa Sets Straw Poll Date

RPI ANNOUNCES STRAW POLL DATE

DES MOINES – Today the Republican Party of Iowa enthusiastically announces that the Iowa Republican Straw Poll will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2007 in Ames, Iowa on the Iowa State University campus.

“We are excited to announce the 2007 straw poll date today as we begin moving forward with the process of selecting our next President,” said Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Ray Hoffmann.  “With just about nine months until the straw poll, Iowans are looking forward to getting to know the Presidential candidates.”

The Iowa Straw Poll is a longstanding tradition that gauges the organizational strength of Republican Presidential candidates ahead of the Iowa Caucuses.  In 1999, George W. Bush won the straw poll, going on to win the caucuses, the nomination and the presidency.

A date has not been set for the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. More details of the events surrounding the straw poll will be released later.