It all comes down to the voters, right? But how does the voting process work? Readers will explore the effects of primaries and caucuses, voter mobilization and turnout issues, and processes used to count the votes and determine the winner.

"When an election is coming up, you usually expect a face-off between the two major US political parties Democrats and Republicans. It's easy to forget that there are numerous minor parties--and even groups within a single party--that have different goals. Why do we need political parties? In modern elections, they are important in shaping candidates' positions on issues, determining who is nominated to run on a party ticket, and working behind the...