Final answer:
Elections on a partisan basis involve candidates being nominated and sponsored by their respective political parties. These processes, including primaries and caucuses, are influenced by state legislation and vary across states, ultimately leading to candidates representing their parties in general elections.
Step-by-step explanation:
Elections conducted on a partisan basis for state and national offices refer to the processes where candidates are associated with and sponsored by political parties. These parties play a significant role in nominating candidates for various offices such as the Presidency, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
This process varies by state as they each have their own election laws and methods for selecting party nominees, which can include primaries and caucuses.
During primaries, party members vote using a ballot to select their preferred candidate, and the process can be either open to all voters or closed to only registered party members. The winners of these contests typically go on to represent their party in the general election where they run against candidates from other parties to secure public office.
State and national governments share the power to conduct elections, and while the U.S. Constitution sets basic requirements for candidates, much of the process is left to the states and the parties themselves.