Primary Process Gives Party Members Say in Nomination

December 15, 2003
The presidential primary process has become a second national political campaign, with reporters and pundits descending on places like Dixville Notch, N.H., and Ames, Iowa, to glean the latest on the race for the nomination. But the process of selecting a party's nominee has evolved radically from the days when party insiders largely controlled who would receive the nomination.

The Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary are the first steps for most candidates seeking the White House. But the differences between the cloistered meeting in living rooms and town halls in Iowa and the snowy ballot stations of New Hampshire are pronounced.

Although millions of voters will cast ballots in caucuses and primaries across the nation, a few "super primaries" -- including one that contains the electoral giants California and New York -- will likely determine the 2004 presidential nominee of the Democratic Party.

The presidential primary season is widely seen as the busiest time for the national political parties. The parties must plan their respective nominating conventions, help organize the debates that lead up to the nomination, and raise as much money as possible to help support their candidate in the general election.