A Brief History of How We Select Candidates for Public Office

Candidates for political office in the United States of America are pre-selected by various methods. One method is the primary election. In primary elections, candidates must file nominating petitions with the Secretary of State and follow established procedures to get on the ballot. Some candidates are supported by their political parties, but, anyone can file the proper papers and get on the ballot.

Another method of pre-selection is the party convention. Some states use this for setting up the slate of candidates that registered voters see on their ballots. Delegates to the convention are usually selected by voters and these delegates then select the candidates that appear on the ballot.

A political caucus is another way to select candidates. A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party to select candidates for election to political office. Registered voters of a political party attend the meeting. Candidates are nominated and voted on at the caucus. Candidates with the highest number of votes win the caucus and appear on the general election ballot.

Because candidates for political office are voted on by all registered voters in primary elections, some voters believe this is the most direct way to represent the wishes of the citizens.

"Primaries are common in the United States, where their origins are traced to the progressive movement to take the power of candidate nomination from party leaders to the people."  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election 

Whichever method is used in your state's election process, registered voters ultimately determine who gets elected to public office. Registered voters who chose not to vote and citizens who do not bother to register or vote have NO SAY in who gets elected. Your vote is your voice, be heard!