What are Primary elections and why have they been criticised?

The first stage of the nomination process is also known as the primary season, after the principal method of choosing between candidates. During the primary season each party will hold a competition in every state to decide which of the selection of candidates they would like to represent their party in the ‘final’, the election. Therefore candidates will criss-cross the country competing for states.

The prize in these contests are delegates to the national party conferences which are held in July/August. Each state has a certain number of delegates dependant on population. If a party is strong in a certain state the party might be given a bonus. The candidate who gets the majority of delegates round the country is adopted as that party’s presidential candidate.

The competitions in a state can take one or two forms, a caucus or a primary. A caucus is wher...