How Is the US President Elected?

Elections Around the World

The year 2024 is an important year for most democracies around the world. Almost half of world democracies are contesting elections this year, with nearly 49 percent of the world’s population participating in the voting process. Up till now, several countries have already been through the election process. These countries include Taiwan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, India, etc. The second half of this year is marked by two key players in global politics entering the polls, i.e., the UK and the US.

All the global political analysts, politicians, policymakers, and researchers are eyeing these two key elections as they can potentially reshape or change the international political trajectory. Now, let’s understand what elections in the US look like, how the president of the United States is elected, and how they differ from those of Pakistan, India, the UK, etc.

The Presidential Government of the US

The US is a federal republic with a presidential form of government. It means that the president is not only the head of the state but also the premier of the executive branch of the government. Unlike the parliamentary form in Pakistan, the US premier does not reside over the meetings of the US Congress (House of Representatives and Senate). Unlike Pakistan, the US executive does not have control over the legislation, as the legislative body works independently.

Influenced by Montesquieu’s theory of “separation of powers,” all three branches of the government (executive, judiciary, and legislature) are independent of each other, but all branches keep a check on each other through the system of checks and balances. The US president has a lot of powers vested in him that make him the most powerful and authoritative figure elected in the country. He is not answerable to the legislature as he is elected by the people; therefore, he is obliged to directly answer to US citizens. Hence, the United States presidential elections are of great significance to its people as well.

The Presidential Election Process

The US presidential elections are quite different from parliamentary elections. Article II of the US Constitution deals with the electoral process. It provides for indirect elections through the Electoral College. 538 members from all the states of the US form the Electoral College and these members are chosen by the people of the concerned state. They elect the country’s president and the vice president.

There is a set time for when the elections are to be held. This timeline has been followed in the country for ages. The elections take place in November after every four years. To be more specific, the set date for election day is the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. The electoral process begins almost a year before the election year.

First Step: Presidential Primaries and Caucuses

A year before the elections, the candidates submit their nominations to run for president. Like all other countries, the US also has eligibility criteria for presidential candidates. According to the US Constitution, to become president, the candidate must be at least 35 years of age, a natural-born US citizen, and a US resident for 14 years. If they fulfill the criteria, they get registered as presidential candidates with the Federal Election Commission.

After their registration, they publicly announce that they are running for office the following election year. From then on until the spring of the election year, primary and caucus debates are held throughout the country. This is where the election process officially commences. Every state chooses its presidential nominees through the primary and caucus.

These two processes are distinct from each other. Primaries are held at the local and state levels, and the nominee is chosen through a secret ballot. The nominee is appointed through voting, whereas in caucuses, the nominee is ‘selected’ through a series of debates and votes. During caucuses, the participants divide themselves into groups supporting the candidate, and each candidate makes a speech as a part of their presidential campaign.

In the end, the candidate who acquires the greatest number of participants in his group wins. Moreover, primaries are held by local and state-level governments, whereas caucuses are meetings held privately by the political parties and their members. These primaries and caucuses also determine the number of delegates assigned to each nominee.

Second Step: The National Conventions

After the process of primaries and caucuses is over and the delegates are awarded, the electoral process moves on to the next step, i.e., national conventions. According to the timeline, these conventions take place from July to September. The main purpose is to select the presidential and vice presidential nominees through the delegates assigned through the primaries and caucuses. These delegates, in national conventions, uphold their support for the presidential candidates through voting.

Depending upon the type of convention, the delegate may or may not support the candidate that they were allotted during the first step. A majority vote is required to win the nomination but if the candidates are unable to gain the majority vote, then it results in a brokered convention. In brokered conventions, additional voting takes place to elect a nominee. The delegates keep voting until the majority is reached. It is pertinent to note here that if there is a brokered convention, the pledge of delegates is broken, and they can vote for whomever they want to in the subsequent round of voting.

During the national conventions, the nominees also announce their vice presidents. The independent candidates do not go through the primary, caucus, or national convention processes as they are not affiliated with any political party, but they have other requirements to become nominees. After the national conventions, the next step is presidential debates. During this step, the presidential nominees debate with each other. These debates are usually aired on television. These debates happen till October of the election year.

Third Step: The Presidential General Election

The next step in the electoral process is the general presidential elections. During this step, the general registered population exercises its right to vote for president. These candidates include the nominees from the national conventions and the independent candidates as well. The general election takes place in November. However, this voting does not decide the president; rather, it only serves as a guide for the members of the Electoral College to point out where the popular consensus lies. It is the members of the Electoral College who decide which candidate is elected as president.

Final Step: The Electoral College & Presidential Inauguration

The Electoral College is elected through a popular vote and, in turn, directly votes for the president. These electors are the representatives from each US state, and their number is proportional to each state’s population. Hence, one state might have more electors than the others. It is quite possible for a candidate to lose the popular vote but win the electoral vote because the elector is not required to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in his state. Although some states have this obligation, others do not.

After the electors cast their votes in December, the Congress then proceeds to count the votes in January next year. The candidate who secures at least 270 votes becomes the next US president. However, if none of the candidates can secure the majority vote, the issue moves to the House of Representatives, and they choose the next US president. The president-elect takes charge of the presidential office on 20^th January, which is also known as Presidential Inauguration Day. The US president stays in office for four years and can serve for two terms. He can only be removed by the process of impeachment and enjoys vast powers.

Conclusion

The electoral process for the US president is a unique one. The trust that people have in the election process and the way government institutions are given due power and respect can be the reasons the US is the ideal model of the most sustainable democracies around the world. Half a year has passed, and the statistics show that both presidential candidates in this year’s election, i.e., Donald Trump and Joe Biden, are in a neck-to-neck competition.

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