Image by Max Goldberg licensed under CC BY 2.0
Caucuses and primaries are two different ways of allowing voters to choose their party’s presidential nominee. The caucus system requires citizens to gather together for discussion and debate before casting their vote. Some prize the highly democratic nature of caucuses, where people meet face-to-face to discuss political issues. But others say caucuses discourage participation since they demand so much time and energy. Most states have opted for primaries, a simpler system of voting at a ballot box. Listen to hear more about the pros and cons of each method of voting and then debate: Are caucuses or primaries more democratic?
Story Length: 3:51
Socrative users can import these questions using the following code: SOC-1234
November 4, 2019
3:52
For many years, Americans have questioned whether our election system is secure. After Russians meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, officials have been trying to replace old voting machines and add other safeguards to ensure secure elections in 2020. In spite of their efforts, however, experts predict that millions of people will still vote on outdated machines in the next presidential election. Listen to hear about the risks to voting security posed by digital technology, how old-fashioned technology can help, and why more election interference is expected in the future.
Read MoreAugust 15, 2016
3:46
After the Democratic Party databases were hacked recently, election tampering has become a major concern for election officials. In May this year, a security analyst hacked into a Florida elections website to show that the system is vulnerable. The online voter registration system in Illinois was shut down after a computer gained unauthorized access to data in the system.
Read MoreFebruary 15, 2016
3:34
As the presidential primaries continue, voters in the Democratic party are split between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Next up to vote: South Carolina. An important voting block for the Democratic party in the south is African Americans. And in South Carolina, as this story explains, black voters appear to be split between Sanders and Clinton. Listen to this story to hear from college students who are still undecided about who to support.
Read MoreJanuary 20, 2016
3:58
Iowa plays a big role in the Presidential election process because it’s the first state to cast its vote for a presidential nominee. The state is overwhelmingly white, but has a growing Latino population. The caucus process is complicated and meetings are held at night, which discourages some Latinos from participating. But efforts are being made to include Latinos in the caucus process. This story looks at how Latinos play a key role in the upcoming elections.
Read More