Americans are on the verge of writing a new chapter in US history by choosing the nations 47th president. Voters will head to the polls on Nov. 5 to elect the occupant of the White House. The main contenders are the Republican Donald Trump, who served one term from 2017 to 2021, and Democrat Kamala Harris, the current vice president under Joe Biden.
However, the race to the White House isnt limited to these two candidates, as there are other nominees outside the two main parties. Nonetheless, its unlikely any of these outside candidates will win; the presidency is almost always a competition between the Republican and Democratic parties.
Looking at US presidential election history and the voting system, its clear that winning the popular vote doesnt guarantee victory. Presidential elections are determined by the Electoral College, which distributes votes across states. Winning the presidency requires 270 out of 538 electoral votes. A striking example of this system occurred in 2016 when Hillary Clinton won nearly three million more votes than Republican candidate Donald Trump, gaining 65,863,516 votes (48.18%) compared to Trumps 62,824,984 votes (46.09%). However, this wasnt enough for Clinton to reach the White House due to Trumps greater success in the Electoral College.
Each US state is allocated a specific number of electoral votes based on its population, where each congressional district is awarded one vote, and each state receives two additional votes.
All US states and Washington D.C. (officially the District of Columbia), except Maine and Nebraska, follow a winner-takes-all policy. For instance, if a candidate wins California with 50.1% of the vote, they receive all of Californias 54 electoral votes.
In Maine and Nebraska, the winning candidate in each congressional district receives one electoral vote, while the remaining two votes are awarded to the statewide winner.
This system also explains George W. Bushs victory over Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, despite Gore winning more votes nationally.
Electoral College members cast their votes about a month after the election, with Congress certifying these votes in early January, finalizing the presidents victory and their inauguration.
On Nov. 5, millions of Americans will have already cast their votes, either by mail-in absentee ballot, in-person early voting in their area, or by returning their ballot to a secure drop box. The US election process includes early voting and absentee voting, offering flexibility for voters to cast their ballots early, helping them avoid potential barriers on Election Day.
All US states, except for Mississippi, New Hampshire, and Alabama, allow voters to cast their ballots in person before Election Day, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Some states offer a form of early voting known as substitute absentee voting, where voters can obtain an absentee ballot and submit it in person before Election Day. Fourteen states require a justification for voting by mail, such as illness or conflicting work schedules.
Eight states conduct elections entirely by mail, where all registered voters receive a mail-in ballot regardless of their intention to use it. Federal law requires states to send absentee ballots to military and overseas voters.
The US electoral system follows a specific process: the president is elected every four years, while House of Representatives members (the lower chamber of Congress) are elected every two years, and Senate members (the upper chamber) every six years, with a third of the seats up for election every two years.
The US election unfolds in four key stages. It begins with the primaries held in all states to select presidential nominees from each party or independents. In this phase, each partys candidates compete for as many primary wins as possible, which allows the winner to secure a majority of the party delegates at the summer national convention, where the partys presidential nominee is officially chosen.
The second phase is the national conventions, a staple in the election process. Party members from across the states gather at these conventions, joined by state delegates displaying banners supporting their chosen candidate.
Once the delegates choose their candidate, each party knows who will represent them in the presidential race. The nominee takes all of the states delegate votes won by majority, then announces their vice-presidential candidate to continue campaigning together.
The third phase is the campaign period. Candidates begin by seeking the votes of those who supported losing candidates in the primaries. This phase is brief, marked by high spending and televised debates between candidates.
In the final weeks of the campaign, candidates focus on swing states due to their significant impact. US states are traditionally divided into blue (Democratic-leaning) and red (Republican-leaning). Candidates expend little effort in loyal states, reserving resources for swing states.
There are seven of these battleground states: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, State of North Carolina, State of Michigan, State of Nevada, State of Wisconsin, State of Arizona, and State of Georgia.
The fourth and final phase is Election Day. Eligible American voters head to the polls, but the president and vice president are not directly elected by the people. Instead, they are elected by the states Electoral College members, who equal the combined number of the states senators and House representatives.
Each winning candidate in a state secures the remaining Electoral College votes that would have gone to other candidates. The election isnt over as soon as a candidate wins the majority of votes; Electoral College members then cast their votes for the president and vice president, sending the results to the President of the Senate.
Finally, on Jan. 20 of the following year, the President of the Senate reads the election results to the full Congress. The new president is inaugurated at the White House in a procession, taking the oath of office before Congress, as mandated by the Twentieth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1933.
If no candidate secures a majority of Electoral College votes (270), the House of Representatives decides the president, with each member casting one vote. If the vice-presidential election also lacks a majority, the Senate decides the winner, with each senator casting one vote.
This presidential election holds unique possibilities: if Kamala Harris wins, she will be the first female president of the United States of America. If Donald Trump wins, he will become the second president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
