Why is it in the news?

• The U.S. is preparing to elect its next President in the 2024 general election, scheduled for November 5, 2024.
• The primary contenders are Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, while Green Party candidate Jill Stein has gained some support, though no third-party candidate has ever won a U.S. presidential election.

Eligibility to Run for President

• The U.S. holds its presidential election every four years on the first Tuesday of November.
• To run for President, candidates must meet certain constitutional requirements: they must be natural-born citizens, at least 35 years old, and residents of the U.S. for at least 14 years.
• Candidates must also register with the Federal Election Commission after raising or spending over $5,000 for their campaign. A campaign committee is responsible for managing donations and expenses.

Primaries and Caucuses

• The election process begins with primaries and caucuses once candidates declare their intent to run.
• Primaries are state-level elections where voters select candidates through secret ballots, usually 6-9 months before the general election. Some states require voters to declare their political affiliation.
• Caucuses, run by political parties, involve discussions and debates before participants choose their preferred candidate. The results determine the number of delegates each candidate earns.
• Primaries and caucuses can be open, closed, or semi-closed. Open primaries allow all voters to participate regardless of party affiliation, while closed primaries limit participation to registered party members. Semi-closed primaries combine aspects of both systems.
• Delegates earned during these events represent their states at the national party conventions.

National Conventions

• At national conventions, political parties select their presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
• Two types of delegates participate: pledged delegates, committed based on primary or caucus results, and unpledged delegates, free to support any candidate.
• The candidate with a majority of delegate votes becomes the party’s nominee. If no majority is reached, additional rounds of voting occur. The presidential nominee also announces their vice-presidential running mate at the convention.

General Election and Voting

• The general election, held on the first Tuesday of November, features major party candidates and, occasionally, third-party candidates who meet state requirements.
• Any registered voter can participate, regardless of whether they voted in the primaries. States offer various voting options, including absentee voting, mail-in voting, and early in-person voting, with rules varying by state.

The Electoral College

• The President is elected through the electoral college, not the popular vote. The electoral college consists of 538 electors, with each state receiving a number of electors based on its congressional representation. Washington D.C. has three electors.
• When voters cast their ballots in the general election, they are indirectly choosing electors. Most states follow a winner-takes-all system, where the candidate with the most votes receives all the state’s electoral votes.
• A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. While a projected winner is announced after the November election, the electoral college votes in mid-December.

Counting Electoral Votes

• In early January, Congress counts the electoral votes. The newly elected President’s term begins on January 20, known as Inauguration Day.