Explained: How is the US president elected?

From Kamala Harris’s dramatic emergence as the Democrats’ trump card in the face of a teetering Joe Biden to the assassination bids on her Republican rival Donald Trump, the US presidential elections of 2024 have been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for the spectator. With the poll process almost on its home stretch, The Federal gives a 360-degree view on how it is conducted, covering the journey of a presidential candidate to the White House.

Long-drawn exercise

Every four years, Americans elect their next president in a long-drawn election process which culminates in their favoured candidate entering the White House on January 20.

However, even though the US president and vice-president are elected to power through popular vote, the 538-member Electoral College determines the final outcome. This is because all the states do not have the same number of electors.

For example, the winner in California gets 54 electors. But a winner in Wyoming or Vermont will get only three electors each. So, a win in California is far more important than winning in the other two.

At the end of the election, the candidate who gets 270 of the 538 in the Electoral College is assumed to be the winner. The Electoral College has to confirm the numbers, though it’s a mere formality more often than not.

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While electors are selected as per the rules put in place by each state, in general, state parties determine who the electors will be. The electors include people affiliated to state parties, state lawmakers, and party activists.

The Republican Party and the Democratic Party have been dominating US politics since 1852.

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The first step: Primaries and caucuses

Much before prominent political parties formally announce their presidential candidate, aspirants are required to undergo a series of primary elections and caucuses.

These polls are conducted in all 50 US states, the district of Columbia, and territories of the US.

While some states hold only one of the two, some states hold a combination of both polls.

How political conventions choose presidential nominees

After the initial phase of elections are wrapped up, political parties hold national conventions between July and early September to officially nominate their presidential candidate.

The votes a candidate gets in the primaries and caucuses determine the number of delegates he or she will bring to the party’s national convention.

These delegates confirm their vote for their preferred candidate at the convention.

However, delegates can be pledged and unpledged. The former is obligated to vote for the candidate they represented in the primaries and caucuses while the latter has the freedom to pick the presidential nominee of their choice.

In case no candidate gets the backing of a majority of a party’s delegates during the primaries and caucuses, the convention delegates choose the nominee via additional rounds of voting.

The presidential nominee also names his or her vice-presidential pick at the national convention.

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Presidential race begins

The real presidential race begins once the two prominent parties – Democratic and Republican parties in this case – select their nominees.

While the intended candidates of both parties usually kick off their campaigns soon after the primaries and caucuses are over, the process gains momentum soon after they are formally nominated by their parties.

Between September and October, the nominees can be seen tearing up each other in fiery televised debates, attending a whirlwind of poll rallies and meetings, interacting with voters and even appearing on TV commercials.

The campaigns give the American voters a chance to ponder over the stance of the two rival candidates over political, economic, and social issues and decide which one of them is fit for the White House.

Voting and run-up to Election Day

The Election Day for the general election is scheduled for the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

However, there is a uniqueness here.

Voters can actually start casting their ballots much before Election Day as most states allow early voting.

In most states, those who cannot vote in person are allowed absentee voting or vote-by-mail. While some states send absentee ballots to voters by default, in others the voter is required to request the same.

Many voters, however, wait for Election Day to cast their votes.

Counting of ballots

The official counting of ballots may get over in a day or take up to a month after Election Day depending on the poll policy of the concerned state.

The US doesn’t have a fixed template for the polling exercise and each state has a different set of rules for ballot and counting.

States have the power to decide when and how to count their in-person and mail-in ballots.

For instance, in some states early votes are counted before Election Day and the results are published soon after voting closes. Other states count their early votes along with Election Day votes.

The process involves thousands of poll workers, election officials and observers.

While a projected winner is announced on election night itself, the Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December.

While it is not constitutionally required for electors to vote as per popular mandate, some states, however, impose fines and even criminal charges on electors who vote against the mandate.

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What happens if no candidate can touch magic figure?

If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses the next president while the Senate picks the vice-president.

In January, the Congress counts the electoral votes and the candidate who has won a minimum of 270 votes is formally announced by the president of the Senate as the new president of the United States.

Inauguration Day and walk to White House

In deference to the Constitution, the new president of the US is inaugurated on January 20. The president’s term begins at noon.

The ceremony is presided over by the chief justice of the Supreme Court and is attended by former presidents.

It is customary for the outgoing president to walk his successor to the White House before the latter takes the oath of office.