The presidential election is the process by which the United States elects its president and vice president. A person becomes president by receiving a majority of electoral votes, or 270 of 538. The process of choosing a candidate begins when members of the two main political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, decide to run for office. They officially announce their intentions as candidates in the spring of the year preceding the election to start raising and spending money on their campaigns. Candidates begin to “go on tour” across the country to rally support and participate in televised debates where they have to defend their stance on issues and policies against other candidates.
Unlike in a popular election, where voters vote for an individual candidate, people who take part in a presidential election actually vote for a group of individuals called electors who are pledged to vote for a particular candidate. Generally, the candidate who wins a state in the general election will receive all of that state’s electoral votes. However, there are exceptions, most notably Maine and Nebraska, which award their electoral votes according to their congressional districts.
After the major political parties select their nominees at a national convention, their names appear on the voting ballot in the general election. Voters may also choose to write in their own choice on the ballot for president, if they meet the legal requirements set out by each state, which usually includes collecting a certain number of signatures. If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives by law determines the winner of the presidency.
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