As the country grew and changed, so too did the election process. The result has granted the public a more influential role in choosing who will govern their country, but it has also produced a highly complex system that many Americans only vaguely comprehend. The kickoff to the presidential election season is the primaries. Primaries are preliminary elections that narrow the choice of candidates for the final presidential vote. Although voters choose whom they would like to see in the Presidency, their vote is diluted through the use of delegates.
Delegates are everyday citizens associated with political parties.
Candidates who win from state to state earn a certain number of delegates, who are then required to vote for that particular candidate at the party convention where the final presidential nominee is chosen. The number of delegates to be awarded the winning candidate in each party depends on the regulations of each state. Other states use a proportional system awarded on the percentage of votes each candidate earned. Caucuses are less formal primaries and developed in highly rural states. Voters attend regional state meetings where representatives of the candidates stump before the voters.