The increasing power of the president and the importance of national issues also makes it difficult for conventions to choose inexperienced candidates unfamiliar with those issues. State Conventions Party conventions are common among state parties. However, because almost all nominations for state and local office are made through direct primaries, these meetings seldom have a nominating task. More commonly, they exist to write a party platform, to handle official party business, and to provide a forum for campaign rallies. In a few states, preprimary conventions designate an official party choice for nomination, who may then be challenged in the primary.
Conventions still designate statewide candidates directly in Delaware and Indiana.
In some other states, most notably California and Wisconsin, unofficial party agencies hold their own conventions to select preferred candidates, whom they then endorse in the primary. Although called by other names, party conventions are found in many countries. In Britain, for example, the annual party conference is an important sounding board for the party leaders, an occasion for revitalizing campaign energies, and a forum for the consideration of policy resolutions. Party candidates and leaders are nominated elsewhere in their local constituencies and in the party caucus in the House of Commons. However, the annual conference resolutions considerably influence the leaders' policy and affect the voters' perception of the parties.