U.S. Election Process
It’s Election Time!
Every four years, our country holds a presidential election. The candidates debate, hit the road talking to voters, and put advertisements on television, radio, and the internet. All this hard work actually starts months or even years before Election Day in November. So what does it take to go from a hopeful candidate to a victorious president?
The first public step a candidate has to take is to declare to the nation that he or she wants to be the president. Then candidates must get support for their campaign, raise money, and get the attention of the leaders of his or her political party.
Every four years, our country holds a presidential election. The candidates debate, hit the road talking to voters, and put advertisements on television, radio, and the internet. All this hard work actually starts months or even years before Election Day in November. So what does it take to go from a hopeful candidate to a victorious president?
The first public step a candidate has to take is to declare to the nation that he or she wants to be the president. Then candidates must get support for their campaign, raise money, and get the attention of the leaders of his or her political party.
Political Parties
A political party is an organized group of people who share similar political views- a person’s ideas about how the government should run and how the issues facing our country should be solved- and how they work to influence the government in support of those views. Political parties fight to gain political power by having candidates elected to office. They exist at every level of government, from the national level to your very own neighborhood. By organizing into political parties, people have more power to influence government than if they acted alone.
Many political parties exist in the United States. Candidates for political office can represent any party, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see everyone’s name on the ballot. Each state has rules about ballot access—allowing a political party to put a candidate on the ballot. Usually the rules involve getting a certain number of signatures from registered voters. These rules keep most third parties from even offering a candidate for voters to choose from. The Democratic and Republican parties have ballot access in all the states. The Libertarian Party is the largest third party, with ballot access for the presidential election in more than 30 states. As of 2015, the Green Party had ballot access in over 20 states, and the Constitution Party had access in over 10 states.
One thing political parties have in common is that they stand for something. If you want to know what a party believes, its platform is a document that describes the party’s views on all the major issues facing the nation. This set of statements is called a “platform” because it is the set of beliefs the political party stands on.
Many political parties exist in the United States. Candidates for political office can represent any party, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see everyone’s name on the ballot. Each state has rules about ballot access—allowing a political party to put a candidate on the ballot. Usually the rules involve getting a certain number of signatures from registered voters. These rules keep most third parties from even offering a candidate for voters to choose from. The Democratic and Republican parties have ballot access in all the states. The Libertarian Party is the largest third party, with ballot access for the presidential election in more than 30 states. As of 2015, the Green Party had ballot access in over 20 states, and the Constitution Party had access in over 10 states.
One thing political parties have in common is that they stand for something. If you want to know what a party believes, its platform is a document that describes the party’s views on all the major issues facing the nation. This set of statements is called a “platform” because it is the set of beliefs the political party stands on.
Primaries & Caucuses
For voters, primaries and caucuses mean two very different experiences. A primary is an official election, where voters cast their ballots for their preferred candidates in secret, as they would for any other election. But in caucuses, participants typically discuss the candidates in an open forum (picture a gymnasium, public library or even a living room). In the Iowa Democratic caucus, voting is public and participants try to sway others in the room to switch loyalties. In the state’s Republican caucus, voting is instead done by secret ballot.
Voting in a primary is generally a quick activity, and can take place at any point during scheduled voting hours. Participating in a caucus can literally take hours, and if you’re not available when it takes place (the Iowa caucus starts at 7 p.m.), then you can’t participate.
Given the time commitment required and the open nature of the format, caucus participants tend to be much more politically active than an average primary voter. But as a result, far fewer people end up taking part in the process.
Voting in a primary is generally a quick activity, and can take place at any point during scheduled voting hours. Participating in a caucus can literally take hours, and if you’re not available when it takes place (the Iowa caucus starts at 7 p.m.), then you can’t participate.
Given the time commitment required and the open nature of the format, caucus participants tend to be much more politically active than an average primary voter. But as a result, far fewer people end up taking part in the process.
Conventions: Nominating the Candidates
Candidates for the larger political parties are chosen at party meetings called conventions. The parties hold conventions at the local, state and national levels. There are two main ways the states send people to the national convention: the caucus and the primary. Both methods result in a set of delegates who will attend the national conventions. The delegates pledge that when they attend the convention, they will vote for the candidate the state political party supports.
Delegates chosen from each state discuss and debate the candidates, listen to speeches, and help create the party platform. Near the end of the multi-day convention, the delegates cast their votes for the party’s nominee who will run in the national election.
The presidential and vice presidential nominees each make an acceptance speech that is meant to bring the party together to support the nominees and forget about the months of debate and arguments that led up to their nomination. This is the first major step in getting the national campaign for president up and running.
Delegates chosen from each state discuss and debate the candidates, listen to speeches, and help create the party platform. Near the end of the multi-day convention, the delegates cast their votes for the party’s nominee who will run in the national election.
The presidential and vice presidential nominees each make an acceptance speech that is meant to bring the party together to support the nominees and forget about the months of debate and arguments that led up to their nomination. This is the first major step in getting the national campaign for president up and running.
The Campaign Trail
Once the field is narrowed to the two main party candidates, fundraising becomes even more important. There are only a few months before the general election, and each candidate needs to get his or her message out to the American public. The parties in each state help the candidates with paying the bills and organizing support.
A political campaign is the process of gathering public support for a candidate. The goal of a campaign is to deliver as much information about the candidate and the party’s platform to as many people as possible. Candidates campaign in a variety of ways.
A political campaign is the process of gathering public support for a candidate. The goal of a campaign is to deliver as much information about the candidate and the party’s platform to as many people as possible. Candidates campaign in a variety of ways.
Election Day: Who Can Vote?
All of these efforts lead up to Election Day in November. People across the nation go to the polls and select which candidate they want for the next president. According to the U.S. Constitution, you can vote in U.S. elections if you:
As polls close from state to state, the news media reports who is getting the most votes. The next morning, the media announces a winner of the popular vote, which is a tally of all the votes cast. But that is just one step in the process of electing the president.
- Are a U.S. citizen
- Meet your state’s residency requirements
- Are 18 years old on or before Election Day
- You can register to vote before you turn 18 if you will be 18 by Election Day.
- Register to vote by your state's voter registration deadline
- The one exception is for residents of North Dakota, which doesn’t have voter registration.
As polls close from state to state, the news media reports who is getting the most votes. The next morning, the media announces a winner of the popular vote, which is a tally of all the votes cast. But that is just one step in the process of electing the president.
The Electoral College
The U.S. Constitution requires an extra step in the process of electing the president. This step is called the Electoral College. Each state has a group of people called electors who cast the actual votes for president. Electors are the 2 Senators each state is equally allotted in the Senate in addition to the Congressmen who represent the state in the House of Representatives, which are awarded based on a state's population. When people vote for a presidential candidate, they are really voting to decide which candidate the electors in their state will vote for.
In December after the election, the electors meet in their state capitols and cast their ballots. The President of the Senate collects the votes and counts them. In order to win, a candidate must have an absolute majority of the electoral votes, which means more than half the votes. If the electors’ votes are split, then the full House of Representatives votes. If that results in a tie, then the Senate votes. The elections of 1800 and 1824 both resulted in ties that were resolved by Congress.
On January 20, the President-elect and Vice President-elect take the oath of office and are inaugurated.
In December after the election, the electors meet in their state capitols and cast their ballots. The President of the Senate collects the votes and counts them. In order to win, a candidate must have an absolute majority of the electoral votes, which means more than half the votes. If the electors’ votes are split, then the full House of Representatives votes. If that results in a tie, then the Senate votes. The elections of 1800 and 1824 both resulted in ties that were resolved by Congress.
On January 20, the President-elect and Vice President-elect take the oath of office and are inaugurated.