Question

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● Explain the election process of the United States president
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Answer 1

The US Presidential election process can broadly be divided into four parts:

1. Primaries and caucuses

Each of the 50 US states has its own Democrat and Republican leaders. In some states, this leadership is represented by groups known as a 'caucus'. At the time of the declaration of the next presidential election, candidates who wish to put their hat in the ring must first win their party's nomination.

For this purpose, the candidates are required to campaign across the United States and convince the members of their respective party to vote for them in the primaries (contest to decide who wins the nomination). State party members who vote in favour of a particular candidate are counted as that candidate's delegates.

2. National Conventions

Once the candidates have secured the support of delegates or caucuses, both the Republican and Democratic parties hold separate national conventions to select a final presidential nominee.

To put this in perspective, Joe Biden faced off against at least 30 odd Democrats to win the nomination with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren dropping out of the race to finally give way to the 77-year-old who served as the vice president to Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.

Biden chose junior senator from California, Kamala Harris to be his running-mate (vice-president) during the Democratic National Convention held at Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee between August 17 and 20.

3. General Election

Eligible voters from all 50 states vote for a president and vice president. It is important to note that votes are being cast here for 538 electors (important number) and not the presidential/vice-presidential candidates directly.

These electors are representatives either of the Republican or the Democratic party. Each state is assigned a certain number of such electoral votes depending upon the population of that state. This number is revised as per the US census conducted every 10 years. The elector of whichever party gets the majority vote in his/her respective state is then empowered to vote for a presidential and vice-presidential candidate.

4. Electoral College

The 538-strong Electoral College is represented by members of Congress (435 members of House of Representatives, 100 senators, and three electors from Washington DC).

In simple words, the American people vote for 538 electors who then choose a president and vice-president. The candidate of whichever party gets the support of at least 270 of these 538 electors wins the presidency. On the other hand, the 435 electors who secure the most votes in their respective states are elected to the House of Representatives.

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Answer 2

Explanation:

Instead, presidential elections use the Electoral College. To win the election, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes. In the event no candidate receives a majority, the House of Representatives chooses the president and the Senate chooses the vice president.