Presidential Election

Elector Selection: The Census determines how “Electoral votes” (Electors) are distributed across the States. According to the number of Senators and Representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation, each State receives “2 votes for its senators in the U.S. Senate” in addition to a “number of votes based on the number of Congressional districts” it has. Each Congressional district represents a geographical area within the State and is represented by one member in the “U.S. House of Representatives.”

Each State’s political parties select slates of prospective Electors at some point before the general election. Those on these slates are dedicated to backing the presidential and vice-presidential candidates of their party in the Electoral College in the event that they win the State’s popular vote.

Voters choose their State’s Electors when they cast ballots for the presidential candidate of their choice in each State. Depending on the election protocols and ballot types used in each State, the names of the Electors may or may not appear on the ballot, beneath the names of the presidential candidates.

With the exception of Nebraska and Maine, the slate of Electors linked to the victorious presidential candidate are nominated as the State’s Electors. In both Maine and Nebraska, “the victor presidential candidate of the State” gets two Electors as well as “the victor of each Congressional district” (it may be the same, the State victor, or a new victor) gets one Elector.  This approach allows Maine and Nebraska to award Electors to several presidential contenders.

The majority of States use “winner-take-all” electoral systems, meaning that the presidential candidate who wins the State’s popular vote receives all of the State Electors.

Meeting of Electors: The Electors gather in their individual States, to vote for the president and vice president of the United States, on the first Tuesday following the second Wednesday in December.                                                                      

Electors, in a December meeting, are not obligated by the Constitution or federal law, to cast their vote in accordance with the outcomes of their State’s “popular vote” (commonly referred to as the general election). However, several States mandate that Electors cast their vote in accordance with the results of the popular vote.

Tallying of the Electors’ Votes: To tally the electoral votes, Congress convenes in a joint session in the “House of Representatives” on January 6. As the Senate’s President, the vice president uncovers each state’s vote in alphabetical order and gives them to the designated Tellers, who then declare the outcomes aloud.

The Senate’s President then asks if there are any objections. If an objection is accepted then the House and Senate proceed to their respective chambers “to evaluate the genuineness of any objection” (in accordance with 3 U.S.C).

The Senate’s President announces who, if anyone, has been elected President and Vice President of the United States following the recording and tallying of all the votes.

On January 20, the year after the general election, the President-elect takes the oath of office and as the head of U.S.

The “National Archives and Records Administration” (NARA) includes the “Office of the Federal Register” (OFR), which is responsible for coordinating some “Electoral College” duties between the States and Congress on behalf of the US Archivist.

Those who are registered to vote in the general election for president can: “cast a vote despite not having participated in their state’s primary elections,” “vote for any presidential candidate, irrespective of their party affiliation or previous voting history.”

As of information fetched in 2024, all American citizens over the age of eighteen are guaranteed the right to vote in “federal (national), state, and local” elections under the U.S. Constitution””” — according to information found at “usa.gov/election” and “archives.gov/electoral-college/about”.

According to the “U.S. Constitution,” the president must to be a natural-born citizen of the country, be at least 35 years old and have lived in the US for the previous 14 years. The vice president needs to fulfill the same requirements and haven’t held the president post for two terms.

Republicans and Democrats each host a national convention in the summer of a “presidential election” year, during which they put forward the names of candidates for president and vice president and establish a “platform” of principles. Party nominees may use public funds to run for president, but they may not use public funds to seek nominations in the “primaries or caucuses.”

If a candidate for “president, senator, or representative” is raising money independently, federal law defines the manner and source of contributions. It also caps the amount that each individual donor may provide. The law makes sure that the public and media are aware of the donors to a particular politician. Since 2010, candidates have been able to fund their campaigns with an unrestricted amount of their own funds.