Primary Caucus vs. Popular Vote
Choosing presidential candidates to run on the Republican and Democratic tickets during the general election is a long, complicated and often irrational process--a combination of political tradition, party rules and the laws of each state where a primary or caucus is held. When people vote in primaries and caucuses, they elect delegates, who in turn travel to their respective parties' national conventions to vote for a candidate.
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Delegates
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The point of holding either a primary election or caucus is to elect delegates who are then responsible for choosing a party's presidential candidate during the national convention. Depending on the party rules in each state, you may vote for a "committed" delegate, who is bound to support one candidate or another; but you may also be voting for an "uncommitted" delegate who is free to choose whichever candidate she would like. Sometimes, the presidential candidate's name is listed on a primary ballot; other times, you see the names of the delegates.
Caucuses
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Caucuses are older than primaries, a throwback to the days when presidential candidates were chosen in smoke-filled rooms by business mavens, mob bosses and union leaders. Caucuses are only open to party members, who hold a meeting to apportion delegates. Caucus-goers group together according to the candidate they support. The undecided voters also form a group and wait to be persuaded by speeches in support of one candidate or another. Caucus voting is open, meaning everyone knows how you vote, and the process itself tends to draw in the party faithful.
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Primaries
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Primaries are a much more familiar process to the American voter. With cooperation from the state, the Democratic and Republican parties choose a day to elect their candidates. Voters go to the booth, see a list of candidates and pick one. Primaries may either be open or closed. In an open primary, any voter can vote for any candidate, Democrat or Republican. In a closed primary, only a member of a registered party may vote for a candidate from that party.
Misconceptions
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Though choosing Democratic and Republican presidential candidates is a matter of national importance, primaries and caucuses are not subject to the same laws that govern general elections. The Supreme Court ruled that political parties are private and, under the First Amendment, can limit their membership as they please. Though a state can force parties to hold a primary rather than a caucus, parties retain the right to apportion delegates as they please.
Considerations
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In the primary vs. caucus debate, proponents of each make impassioned arguments. Caucuses tend to be favored by the parties themselves because they stir up lively debate and usually favor candidates who are truest to their party's values. However, many people say that primaries are a far more democratic process, participated in by many more people than caucuses.
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References
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