Presidents are elected indirectly. The election of the president and the vice president of the United States is an indirect election in which citizens of the United States who are registered to vote in one of the fifty U.S. states or in Washington, D.C., cast ballots not directly for those offices, but instead for members of the Electoral College. The US political system is dominated by just two parties, so the president always belongs to one of them. During a political party convention, each presidential nominee also announces a vice presidential running mate. In most, participants divide themselves into groups according to the candidate they support. After the primaries and caucuses, each major party, Democrat and Republican, holds a national convention to select a Presidential nominee. Presidents are elected indirectly. Voting happens through secret ballot.</p></li><li><p>Caucuses are private meetings run by political parties. They may also participate in debates with candidates from other parties.</p><h3>What is the Role of the Electoral College?</h3><p>During the general election, Americans go to their polling place to cast their vote for president. The candidate who gets elected is the one who gets the highest number of votes in their respective state. These are two methods that states use to select a potential presidential nominee Nominee: the final candidate chosen by a party to represent them in an election.. Please enable JavaScript in your web browser; otherwise some parts of this site might not work properly. They kicked off on February 3 with the Iowa caucuses.</p><ul><li><p>Find the expected <a href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2020-state-primary-election-dates.aspx#">presidential primary or caucus date</a> for each state.&nbsp;</p></li><li><p>Check the <a href="https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote#item-213833">deadline to register to vote</a> in your state to ensure you can vote in its presidential primary.</p></li></ul><h3>State Primaries and Caucuses for the Presidential Elections</h3><ul><li><p>State primaries are run by state and local governments. The next presidential election will be November 3, 2020. This has never happened but then again it’s 2020, an election year unlike any other. Consider what has already been accomplished. Instead of using a proportional electoral system in which the presidential candidate who wins the most votes (or who wins at least 50% of the votes) wins the election, the US uses a system … In rare cases, none of the party’s candidates has a majority of delegates going into the convention. Caucus: A meeting of the local members of a political party to select delegates to the national party convention. House members choose the new president from among the top three candidates. Washington And The World. President Trump has criticised the use of an electronic voting system widely used by election authorities across the United States, saying it's lost him millions of votes. That means a majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the president. "@type": "Question", The next presidential election will be November 3, 2020.</p><h3>Primaries, Caucuses, and Political Conventions</h3><p>The <a href="http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/elections/election-process.html">election process</a> begins with <a href="https://www.usa.gov/election#item-37162">primary elections and caucuses</a>. The Presidential candidates campaign throughout the country to win the support of the general population. Many states have delayed their presidential primaries or caucuses due to the coronavirus. The newly elected President and Vice President are then inaugurated on January 20th. In the primary election each party elects a candidate to represent their party. But the tally of those votes&mdash;the popular vote&mdash;does not determine the winner. Elector: a person who is certified to represent their state's vote in the Electoral College. "mainEntity": [ The US president has a huge influence on people's lives both at home and abroad, so when the next election is held on 3 November, the outcome will matter to everyone. and caucuses. If a candidate wins a primary election, they win either all or a proportion of the state's delegates, depending on party rules. General Election: a final election for a political office with a limited list of candidates. See the distribution of electors by state. Additional reporting by the Press Association. Find the expected presidential primary or caucus date for each state. Full coverage of the 2020 Presidential Election and U.S. House and Senate races from USA TODAY, including the latest news, coverage, analysis and results. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? Including Washington, D.C.’s three electors, there are currently 538 electors in all. The convention is considered “contested.” Delegates will then pick their presidential nominee through one or more rounds of voting. In the event no candidate receives a majority, the House of Representatives chooses the president and the Senate chooses the vice president.</p><h3>What is a Typical Presidential Election Cycle?</h3><p>The presidential election process follows a typical cycle:</p><ul><li><p>Spring of the year before an election &ndash; Candidates announce their intentions to run.</p></li><li><p>Summer of the year before an election through spring of the election year &ndash; Primary and caucus debates take place.</p></li><li><p>January to June of election year &ndash; States and parties hold primariesand caucuses.</p></li><li><p>July to early September &ndash; Parties hold nominating conventions to choose their candidates.</p></li><li><p>September and October &ndash; Candidates participate in presidential debates.</p></li><li><p>Early November &ndash; Election Day</p></li><li><p>December &ndash; Electors <img class="tooltip- icon-beta" src="/sites/all/themes/usa/images/Icon_Tooltip_sm02.png" alt="tooltip"><span class="text">Elector: a person who is certified to represent their state's vote in the Electoral College.</span></span> cast their votes in the Electoral College.</p></li><li><p>Early January of the next calendar year &ndash; Congress counts the electoral votes.</p></li><li><p>January 20 &ndash; Inauguration Day</p></li></ul><p>For an in-depth look at the federal election process in the U.S., check out <a href="https://staticshare.america.gov/uploads/2016/04/Elections-USA_In-Brief-Series_English_Lo-Res.pdf">USA In Brief: ELECTIONS</a>.</p>" In other U.S. elections, candidates are elected directly by popular vote. December 15, 2020, USAGov is the Official Guide to Government Information and Services, Government Agencies and Elected Officials, Congressional, State, and Local Elections, Find My State or Local Election Office Website, Inauguration of the President of the United States. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump offer floral respects at Raj Ghat, the memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, in New Delhi, India, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk down the steps of Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020, President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump stand on the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, US President Donald Trump embraces first lady Melania Trump after she addressed the Republican Convention, President Donald Trump waves next to first lady Melania Trump as they arrive for his first 2020 election debate with Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., September 29, 2020. In addition, most of the time, the winner of a US presidential election also wins the national popular vote. American Information Systems acquired the Election Services Division of Business Records Corporation and was reincorporated as Election Systems & Software, Inc. in December 1997. A total of three presidential debates were scheduled to take place before polling day, with the first one roundly viewed as overly combative and chaotic. Under the plurality system, an area is divided into a number of geographically defined voting districts, each represented by a single elected official. The process of using electors comes from the Constitution. Tweet 2. "logo": "https://app-usa-modeast-prod-a01239f.s3.amazonaws.com/Logo_USAGov.png" Primary: In a primary, party members vote for the best candidate that will represent them in the general election. It's a system that became widespread for the presidential election in the 1970s. "@type": "Question", The number of electors per state is roughly proportionate to the population, as it is based on the number of representatives they have in Congress. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Sergei Lavrov (R) pictured with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They may also participate in debates with candidates from other parties. It&rsquo;s then&nbsp; confirmed through a vote of the delegates at the national convention.</p><p>But if no candidate gets the majority of a party&rsquo;s delegates during the primaries and caucuses, convention delegates choose the nominee. Lots of people dream of becoming President of the United States. The parties have different numbers of delegates due to the rules involved in awarding them. The Electoral College is the group of people that elect the United States President and Vice President. Each of the 50 states and Washington DC appoint a number of people in their state known as electors, who make up the Electoral College. Essentially, the more populous the state, the more electors it has. "@type": "FAQPage", Election officials have claimed that voting machines do not connect to the internet, but a team of experts found several U.S. voting systems currently online. }, { The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors who cast votes on behalf of the population of the state, with 270 votes needed to win the presidency. The presidential candidates campaign throughout the country in an attempt to win the support of the general population. Conventions finalize a party’s choice for presidential and vice presidential nominees. See the <a href="https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/key-dates">Electoral College timeline of events </a>for the 2020 election.</p><p>While the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/electors#restrictions">Constitution doesn&rsquo;t require</a> electors to follow their state&#39;s popular vote, many states&#39; laws do. The parties have different numbers of delegates due to the rules involved in awarding them. Unpledged delegates or superdelegates can support any presidential candidate they choose. Inauguration of the President of the United States. January to June of election year – States and parties hold The result of the presidential election is usually announced on election day. In general, primaries use secret ballots for voting. Election day is always held on the first Tuesday after November 1. Both primaries and caucuses can be “open,” “closed,” or some hybrid of the two. But in July 2020 the Supreme Court ruled that those state laws are constitutional. Dominion Voting Systems Corporation is a North America-based company which provides voting machines and tabulators in the United States and … An election for president of the United States happens every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. An electoral system or voting system is a set of rules that determine how elections and referendums are conducted and how their results are determined. Those certified counts will determine the winner of the presidential election—not the courts, and not the president. Official websites use .gov Who is chosen to be an elector, how, and when varies by state. At the time, AIS had about 750 customers and BRC had around 1200, where … For nearly 40 years, Election Systems & Software (ES&S) has helped election officials run successful and secure elections. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. This happens through additional rounds of voting. The convention is considered &ldquo;contested.&rdquo; Delegates will then pick their presidential nominee through one or more rounds of voting.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><p>In the first round of voting, pledged delegates usually have to vote for the candidate they were awarded to at the start of the convention. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., the winner gets all the electoral votes for that state. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electors—more than half of all electors—to win the presidential election. Primary votes - known as “primaries” - and caucuses are how parties in individual states pick their nominee for president ahead of the election. After the primaries and caucuses, most political parties hold national conventions. { But the actual Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December when the electors meet in their states. "name": "Presidential Primaries and Caucuses", } These are two methods that states use to select a potential presidential nominee Be a natural-born citizen of the United States, Have been a resident of the United States for 14 years. Here we explore how the United States voting system works. Decide Who to Vote For . "@type": "Answer", "acceptedAnswer": { All together there are 538 electors (in the ›Ele… Presidential Election Process In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in November after you vote. However, Mr Trump has repeatedly said he thinks the election result will be challenged in the Supreme Court and has declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of powers if he loses, meaning the result could face lengthy delay. Reddit . TTOR: The US Election System Is Broken. Voting in the United States is a two party system. Caucuses are private meetings run by political parties. "@type": "Question", Each state’s political parties choose their own slate of potential electors. "acceptedAnswer": { Video: How to Become President of the USA, Overview of the Presidential Election Process, Infographic Poster: How to Become President of the United States, U.S. Once a candidate raises or spends more than $5,000 for their campaign, they must&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/registering-candidate/">register with the Federal Election Commission</a>. That includes naming a principal campaign committee to raise and spend campaign funds.</p>" Electors must follow their state&#39;s popular vote, if the state has passed such a law.&nbsp;</p><h3>Special Situations</h3><h4>Winning the Popular Vote but Losing the Election</h4><p>It is possible to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/faq#ecpopulardiffer">win the Electoral College but lose the popular vote</a>. December – Polling Place: the location in which you cast your vote. There are many people who want to be president. The presidential elections in the United States rely on what’s known as the Electoral College system. Find My State or Local Election Office Website. This week, the attacks on the US election system orchestrated by Trump escalated. The Electoral College is … Elector: A member of the electoral college. This usually happens through the party&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.usa.gov/election#item-37162">primaries and caucuses</a>. While the Constitution doesn’t require electors to follow their state's popular vote, many states' laws do. }, { July to early September – Parties hold nominating conventions to choose their candidates. Balloting continues until one candidate receives the required majority to win the nomination. The first phase is the primary election. Each elector casts one vote following the general election. The United States holds elections every two years.