Election Explained

The United States Presidential Election is more complex than may well appear to outsiders. Here is a one-stop, step-by-step guide to the whole process, from the phoney war through to the inauguration

1. Primaries and Caucuses

At the moment, the Republican Party is trying to find its nominee for the Presidential Election. Four candidates remain in the running for the Party’s nomination in state-by-state contests, some of which are primaries and some of which are caucuses. Each state returns a certain number of delegates to the upcoming Republican convention. The results of these primaries and caucuses determine which candidates each state's delegates are to vote for. So, for example, because Mitt Romney won the Florida primary, all of the 50 delegates from Florida are now bound to vote for Mr Romney at the convention. A Republican candidate needs 1,144 delegates to win the nomination.

Barack Obama is running unopposed in the Democratic contest for the nomination to be President.

2. Conventions

In August and September, both the Republican and Democratic parties will hold conventions. At these conventions (which are not dissimilar to British party conferences), delegates finally vote to determine who is to be each party’s nominee for President of the United States.

The result of these ballots are highly likely to be known in advance as they are voted for by the delegates who have been awarded through the primaries and caucuses, and by super-delegates, who are party members given their own, autonomous vote in the ballot. Most of these super-delegates will declare their intentions before the convention, meaning that the result of the ballot and the identity of the nominee will already be known.

The nominee will choose a running mate, who will run for the Vice Presidency, and will also give a speech accepting the nomination at the end of the convention.

3. The General Election Campaign and Debates

After the conventions, there will be a two-month long General Election campaign. During this time, the two parties will negotiate over debates between the nominees for President from the two major parties, including how many debates there will be and what form they will take. In 2008, there were three Presidential debates and one Vice Presidential debate.

4. Election Day and the Electoral College

On 6^th November, Americans will go to the polls to vote for their new President. However, the winner will not necessarily be the person who receives the most votes. The new President is determined in the Electoral College.

Each state has a number of electors in the College (known as electoral votes). Whoever wins the most votes on election day in any state gains its electoral votes. So, for instance, if President Obama wins the most votes in California, then California's 55 electors in the College will vote for him. If his opponent wins in Texas, then Texas' 38 electors will vote for the Republican candidate, and so on and so on for every state, and the District of Columbia.
270 electoral votes are required to win the electoral college and the Presidency.

5. Inauguration

The votes of the Electoral College are counted and verified by the US Congress in the new year, usually on 6^th January. The new President is inaugurated on 20^th January. President Obama, should he be re-elected, will have a second inauguration.