More than a year before the actual presidential elections, the circus starts. In principle, anyone can stand as a presidential candidate. However, the majority of candidates drop out prematurely because a lot of money is needed to campaign. That campaign is necessary to become known to American citizens. Many candidates are well known in the local politics of a city or state, but not in the rest of the United States.
The American electoral system
More than a year before the actual presidential elections, the circus starts. In principle, anyone can stand as a presidential candidate. However, the majority of candidates drop out prematurely because a lot of money is needed to campaign. That campaign is necessary to become known to American citizens. Many candidates are well known in the local politics of a city or state, but not in the rest of the United States.
Candidates
A candidate is free to choose whether he wants to stand for an existing party or whether he wants to remain independent. If he commits himself to a party, he will receive financial support for his campaign and it will be determined within the party whether he can continue as a presidential candidate. If a candidate remains independent, he needs donations to campaign. Most independent candidates drop out before the primaries even begin.
Primaries
The elections start in January with the primaries. All fifty states of America cast their votes independently of each other. In some states, caucuses (party meetings) are held for this purpose. Ultimately, a Republican and a Democratic favorite emerge from the primaries.
Republicans vs Democrats
After this, the Republican and Democratic conventions take place where both parties present their official candidates.
There are now only a limited number of candidates left (1 for the Democrats, 1 for the Republicans and the few other parties or independents that are still holding out). Now follows a period where the candidates receive a lot of media attention and debate each other in public. They try to portray opposing candidates in a bad light and get as many voters behind them as possible. Ultimately, the elections will then take place.
The elections
During the elections, the president is not yet chosen, but it is determined per state which candidate receives the most votes. Each state is represented by a number of electoral votes (regardless of the size of the state – e.g. California provides 54 electoral votes). The candidate who receives the most votes in a state receives all the electoral votes of that state. There are 538 electoral votes in total and 270 are enough for a candidate to become president. Approximately one month after the elections, the Electoral College determines who will become president.
If none of the candidates in the Electoral College has a majority, the House of Representatives will make a decision.
The new president of the United States thus elected will officially be sworn in in January and then move to the White House.