2024 US Election: The date, the results, and everything else you need to know about how
United States elects its president through a more complicated, multi-stage process.
Stage 1 :
Primary elections and nominations by parties Selection of candidates: To select their presidential candidates, political parties hold internal elections called primaries and caucuses.
While caucuses involve voting at meetings and public discussions, primaries are elections by secret ballot. Based on these results, candidates are given delegates by each state.
National Conventions: At the national convention, the party’s nominee is the candidate with the most delegates. This marks the beginning of the campaign for the general election.
Stage 2 :
Across the Nation Campaigning for the General Election: Along with any significant independent candidates, nationwide campaigns are held by the Democratic and Republican nominees.
Rallies and debates: To connect with voters, candidates hold rallies and participate in televised debates.
On Election Day, Voting: On the first Tuesday of November, citizens cast their ballots. Election Day is November 5, 2024, this year.
Stage 3:
The Electoral College System The United States does not elect its president directly through a popular vote. The electoral college system is used instead.
The Electoral College: What Is It?
The president and vice president are formally chosen by 538 electors.
Votes Required to Win the Election: A candidate must receive 270 electoral votes to win.
Distribution of Votes in Elections:
The number of electoral votes each state receives is proportional to its congressional representation: the sum of its two senators and its representative in the House (based on population).
Example: The state with the most people, California, has 54 electoral votes, while smaller states like Wyoming only need 3.
Stage 4 :
How Election Votes Are Distributed Under the Winner-Take-All System: All of the electoral votes in 48 states go to the candidate who wins the popular vote.
Exceptions: The electoral votes in Maine and Nebraska are distributed proportionally, based on the results of each congressional district.
Stage 5 :
The Final Steps The December Election Meeting: In order to cast their official votes for president and vice president, voters gather in their states.
Counting Votes in January: On January 6, Congress meets to officially declare the winner and count the votes.
Day of the New Year: On January 20, the new president takes office.
Swing States’ Key Characteristics and Distinctions: These are states where the outcome of the election is uncertain, and candidates pay a lot of attention to them. It can be crucial to win these battleground states.
Electoral College vs. Popular Vote: Without winning the popular vote, a candidate can win the presidency. The most recent time this occurred in the United States was in 2016.
Elections governed by the state: U.S. elections are overseen by state governments, in contrast to countries that have a centralized authority over elections.
The Fundamentals of Population-Based Election Vote Allocation: The most recent Census determines the number of electoral votes for each state. The 2020 Census serves as the basis for the current distribution.
Whether there is over or underrepresentation:
Smaller nations: have more votes in elections per capita. In Wyoming, for instance, approximately 195,000 people are represented by one electoral vote.
Greater States: aren’t represented enough. Over 700,000 people are represented by one electoral vote in states like Texas, Florida, and California. DC, Washington: The 23rd Amendment grants the District of Columbia, which is not a state, three electoral votes.
Combining the Electoral College system with popular votes, the US presidential election is a complicated process. Although citizens vote for their preferred candidate, they are technically casting their ballots for electors who have pledged to support that candidate. The distribution of electoral votes among states is crucial because the Electoral College will make the final decision. The results of the election will be confirmed by Congress on January 6 and the president will take office on January 20.
