U.S. Presidential Election: Key Steps and Process

Context: The United States will elect its next President in the 2024 general election, scheduled for November 5, 2024.

Background: Every four years, the U.S. holds a Presidential election on the first Tuesday of November. To run for President, candidates must meet certain requirements, and the election process begins months or even years before Election Day.

Key Points:

1. Eligibility Requirements: To run for President, a person must be:

   • A natural-born citizen of the U.S.
   • At least 35 years old
   • A resident of the U.S. for 14 years

2. The Election Process: The Presidential election follows several steps, including primaries, caucuses, national conventions, general elections, and the final vote by the Electoral College.

Step 1: Primaries and Caucuses

• Primaries and Caucuses are held to choose delegates who represent the people at party conventions.

• In a Caucus, party members meet to discuss and vote for their preferred candidate. It’s a meeting where delegates are chosen for the national convention.

• In a Primary, voters cast secret ballots to select their favorite candidate. Most states hold primaries 6 to 9 months before the Presidential election.

Step 2: National Conventions

• Each party holds a National Convention after the primaries and caucuses. Here, the party’s delegates officially choose the Presidential nominee. The nominee then selects a Vice President to run with them.

Step 3: General Election

• In the General Election, voters across the country vote for their preferred President and Vice President. However, they are actually voting for electors who will later choose the President.

Step 4: The Electoral College

• The Electoral College is the final step. The President is chosen by 538 electors. Each state gets electors based on its number of representatives in Congress. To win, a candidate needs 270 electoral votes.

Even though the election happens in November, the Electoral College casts its votes in December, and Congress counts the votes in January. The new President starts their term on January 20, known as Inauguration Day.

This process ensures that the President is chosen both by the popular vote and through the Electoral College system.