How to become the President of the United States of America (USA)? What is the election process of the US President? Show
To learn about the US Presidential election process, you need to know about the caucuses and primaries, the national conventions, and the electoral college. Read to know more about the Election Process of US President. Who can become the President of the United States of America (USA)?The U.S. Constitution’s Requirements for a Presidential Candidate are:
Note: A Natural Born Citizen is someone born with U.S. citizenship. This includes any child born “in” the United States, the children of United States citizens born abroad, and those born abroad of one citizen parent. The US President and Vice President are not elected directly by the people. Instead, they are chosen by “electors” through a process called the “Electoral College”. The election process of US President can be consolidated into five steps – Step 1: Primaries and Caucuses, Step 2: National Conventions, Step 3: Election Campaigning, Step 4: General Election, and Step 5: Electoral College. Step 1: Primaries and Caucuses (Party level elections in States)There may be many people who want to be the president of the United States of America. Each of these people may have their own ideas about how the US government should work. People with similar ideas usually align behind the same political party. But they need to win the favour of their party members first. Candidates from each political party campaign throughout the country to win the favour of their party members.
Step 2: National Conventions of Each PartyOnce the primaries and caucuses are completed in each state, a national convention is held in which a party’s nomination for president is formally announced to the public. During the convention, the elected delegates cast their vote for a party candidate and the candidate with the most delegates gets the party’s nomination. The end of the convention marks the beginning of the general election process. Each party holds a national convention to finalize the selection of one presidential nominee. At each convention, the presidential candidate chooses a running-mate (vice-presidential candidate). Step 3: General Election CampaigningGeneral election campaigning begins after a single nominee is chosen from each political party, via primaries, caucuses, and national conventions. These candidates travel the country, explaining their views and plans to the general population and trying to win the support of potential voters. Rallies, debates, and advertising are a big part of general election campaigning. Step 4: General Election (Popular Vote)
Step 5: Electoral College (Electors vote for the US President)
What happened in the 2016 elections?In 2016, Donald J. Trump won the Electoral College with 304 votes compared to 227 votes for Hillary Clinton. However, seven electors voted for someone other than their party’s candidate. Even though it doesn’t matter, it was Hillary Clinton who won the popular vote in 2016. How did Trump become the US president despite losing the popular vote in 2016?Though uncommon, it is possible to win the Electoral College, but lose the popular vote. That means that a candidate can win a combination of states and reach the 270 electors mark without winning the majority of votes across the country. This has happened five times in American elections – most recently in 2000 and 2016. Popular Vote vs Electoral Vote: Understand the differenceUS President and US Vice PresidentWhy does the U.S. have an Electoral College?The short answer is the framers of the Constitution didn’t trust direct democracy and provided an extra layer to ensure, as James Madison put it, that “factions” of citizens with a common interest don’t harm the nation as a whole. However, the Electoral College has become a mere formality. The Constitution doesn’t require electors to vote according to the popular vote of the people they represent. But it’s rare for an elector not to follow the people’s and their party’s choice. Although the actual vote of the Electoral College takes place in each state between mid-November and mid-December, in most cases, a projected winner can be announced on election night. What Happens if No Candidate Gets 270 Electoral Votes?In the rare event that no candidate gets the needed 270 electoral votes, the decision would go to the House of Representatives, who would vote to elect the new President from among the top three candidates. A similar process would take place in the Senate to elect the Vice President from among the top two candidates. The only time this has happened was during the 1824 election when John Quincy Adams received the most votes in the House of Representatives after no candidate won a majority of the Electoral College. Also read: United States Federal Government shut down. US Presidential Election Disputes and Supreme CourtIn 2000, for the first time in 112 years, the eventual winner of the election, Republican George W. Bush (47.87% of voters), failed to win the popular vote lagging behind the Democratic nominee Al Gore who won over 48.38 % of voters (edging out Bush nationwide by about 550,000 votes). The outcome of that election came down to Florida, which at the time had 25 electoral college votes and gave Bush a narrow electoral college win with 271 electors over Gore’s 266. However, the contest was so close in the sunshine state that a mandatory recount was triggered. And with legal challenges being launched in several Florida counties the case was eventually decided by the Supreme court who handed the state, and therefore the Presidency, to Bush with a ruling 5-4 in favour of the Republican on December 12 of that year. Ok. Elections are over. What’s next?The president-elect and vice president-elect take the oath of office and are inaugurated in January. The Election Process of US President: InfographicGo through the below infographic to know the steps in the election process of US President. ConclusionUS President and Vice President are not directly elected by voters. It is the ‘electors’ from each state who elect the US President and Vice President. The Electoral College consists of 538 electoral votes (from 50 states and District of Columbia). The elections results are largely influenced by the voter behaviour in large swing states. To win the election the candidate needs to secure 270 electoral votes. What are the stages of the presidential election process?Summary of the U.S. Presidential Election Process. Primaries and Caucuses.. National Conventions.. General Election.. Electoral College.. What is the definition of election process?An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
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