Americans will go to the polls in November 2024 to elect the next American president. The person sitting in the Oval Office of the White House has a great influence on people’s lives, both at home and abroad, so the outcome of this election matters to everyone.
The American political system today is dominated by just two parties, such that every president in modern times has belonged to one of them.
The Democrats are the liberal political party, whose agenda is largely defined by its promotion of civil rights, a broad social safety net and measures to combat climate change.
It is the party of outgoing President Joe Biden, who is trying to obtain a second term in power.
The Republicans are the conservative political party of the United States. Also known as the GOP, or Grand Old Party, it advocates lower taxes, a reduction in the size of government, gun rights, and tighter restrictions on immigration and abortion.
The party has not yet chosen its presidential candidate.
When will the next US presidential election take place?
The 2024 elections will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. The winner will serve a four-year term in the White House beginning in January 2025.
Who are the candidates and how are they nominated?
The 2024 presidential campaign is well underway. It started with 15 candidates – nine Republicans, four Democrats and two independents – although some of them have already dropped out of the race.
The two major parties nominate a presidential candidate by holding a series of primaries and state caucuses.
There are differences between the parties and the process varies from state to state.
One of the most important days is called “Super Tuesday”, March 5, because more than a dozen states will hold their primaries on that day.
President Biden announced his re-election bid earlier this year and – despite some long-running challenges – is expected to easily win the Democratic Party nomination.
Within the Republican Party, President Donald Trump won the first two national elections and already appears poised to be the nominee.
Some independent candidates are also running for president, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nephew of former President John F. Kennedy.
How is the American presidential election going?
The two candidates are competing to win the electoral college votes.
Each state has a certain number of Electoral College votes, based in part on its population, and there are a total of 538 up for grabs, so the winner is the candidate who wins 270 or more.
This means voters decide elections at the state level rather than the national level, which is why it’s possible for one candidate to win the most votes nationally – as Hillary Clinton did in 2016 – but still be defeated by the electoral college.
All but two states have a winner-takes-all rule, so that the candidate who wins the most votes is awarded all of the state’s electoral college votes.
Most states lean heavily toward one party or the other, so the focus is usually on a dozen states in which either could win. These are called battleground states.
Who else is elected?
All the attention will be on who wins the presidency, but voters will also choose new members of Congress – the legislative branch of government – when they fill out their ballots.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are up for grabs, while 33 Senate seats are also up for grabs.
Republicans control the House and Democrats are in charge of the Senate.
These two chambers pass laws and therefore can serve as a brake on White House plans if the controlling party in either chamber disagrees with the president.
Who can vote?
If you are a U.S. citizen and 18 years or older, you should be eligible to vote in the presidential election, which occurs every four years.
When will we know who won the election?
Usually the winner is declared on election night, but in 2020 it took a few days to count all the votes.
The period after the election is known as the transition when there is a change of president.
This is the time for the new administration, including ministers, to train and plan for the new mandate.
The president is formally sworn in in January in a ceremony known as the inauguration, held on the steps of the Capitol in Washington DC.