Second, political parties organize campaigns to present their candidates and their views, known as 'Platforms' to the voting public. Third, political parties supply the Voting Officials who keep the election days running smoothly. These are the men and women you see getting people to register to vote before an election, and often the ones handing out ballots during the actual voting. In National elections, you will find both a Democrat and a Republican at the table, although this isn't a hard and fast rule for local elections. Fourth, assuming their candidate wins the election, the parties recommend qualified individuals for appointed offices .
Political parties choose the man or woman they feel best represents their views.
They are the person who will carry the 'Party Line', or platform to the public. Years before a national election, would be office holders begin 'testing the waters'- trying to determine if there is enough support from other party members to merit an actual campaign. If he or she decides that they will be able to gather the support and money necessary to finance and run a campaign, they 'throw their hat into the ring' as the saying goes, and announce that they are entering the race. From that moment on, the candidate finds himself caught up in a whirlwind of speechmaking, interviews, and fundraising until he or she either wins, looses, or concededs defeat, giving their support to another candidate from the party. The hope is that the supporters of the defeated candidate will now shift their loyalty and their votes to the remaining candidate.