How Do Americans Elect Their President?

This year, Barack Obama's presidency will end after two four-year terms, and he will not be legally able to participate in a third election. As a result, in addition to the main rival party, the Republicans, Mr. Obama's fellow Democrats must also introduce a new candidate for voting in November. Thus, the not-so-short process of selecting the final candidate for the United States elections begins. Months before the debates start, several members from both major parties announce their readiness to participate in the presidential elections. However, winning the presidency of the country with the largest economy on Earth and the most powerful military under his command is not an easy task. Republican candidates participate in intra-party debates in December 2015. The intra-party selection process, primary elections, and candidates remaining in the primary selection circle debate each other for weeks on popular American networks. After that, the intra-party selection of the two major parties begins. From February to June, each state and region in America votes to select the final candidate. In most states, party supporters vote directly for their preferred candidate in the 'primary elections.' However, some states, like Iowa, hold 'caucuses,' which are essentially intra-party meetings where discussions take place, and agreement is reached on a single candidate. The term 'caucus' comes from Native American language, meaning a meeting of tribal elders. During the primary selection process, each Republican or Democrat candidate travels thousands of kilometers across America, meets with people on the streets, and listens to their demands. An army of volunteers also assists each candidate during the weeks of the primary selection. The initial selection in Iowa, followed by New Hampshire and South Carolina, takes place between February 1 and 20. However, each state votes on different days. On the first day of March, 14 states and one region simultaneously select their preferred candidate. The results of the selection in each state (either as 'primary elections' or 'caucuses') indicate how many state representatives support their chosen candidate; in other words, how many of these representatives will vote for the candidate in the 'National Congress' for the final selection in June. The method of counting votes in each state at the National Congress follows a specific formula based on factors such as the state's population, its importance to the respective party, and the number of party officials elected in that state. A Republican candidate must secure at least 1,237 votes from 2,472 state votes at the final gathering or 'National Congress' to be selected as the final candidate. A Democrat candidate will need the support of 2,383 representatives out of 4,764 total representatives from the 50 states. The point here is that even until that day, after all the state primary selections, representatives may still have significant disagreements and continue to negotiate for the final candidate. The two main Democratic candidates (Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders) participate in intra-party debates. After the selection, there is a grueling three-month wait for the final candidate of each party. Besides Republicans and Democrats, independent candidates or those from smaller parties also enter the race, but competition is almost always significantly limited to candidates from the two major parties. Candidates debate each other, and their debates are broadcast live and publicly for the people. The final candidates again travel thousands of kilometers across America, meet with people, and listen to their concerns. Finally, the voting day arrives on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. If November 1 is a Tuesday, voting will take place on Tuesday, November 8. (Yes! Voting in the United States occurs in the middle of the week.) In the United States, the president is not elected based on the total public votes cast in the ballot boxes. Each state (except Nebraska and Maine) has a number of representatives known as 'electors.' These 'electors' correspond to the number of representatives each state sends to the U.S. House of Representatives and are determined based on the number of residents in each state; for example, populous California has 55 'electors,' while cold Alaska has 3 'electors' due to its population. Any candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the votes in a state automatically receives all the votes from that state. This means all 'electors' vote for that candidate. There are a total of 538 'electors' from all states and regions in the U.S. A candidate can reach the White House by securing at least 270 'elector' votes. Let’s explain this: when more than 50 percent of voters in, say, California vote for a candidate, that candidate automatically receives all 55 points available in that state. This means that the 55 representatives (electors) from that state declare that he has won the election in California; the same happens in, say, Alaska, with the difference that only three points are awarded to the winning candidate from Alaska. The total of these points must reach at least 270 for the final winner to be declared. However, as mentioned, two states out of the 50 have a different method. In these two states, each candidate receives points proportional to the votes they receive. This means that not all points go to one candidate but are divided based on the number of votes among candidates. However, this voting method has sometimes been controversial; in the year 2000, Al Gore, the Democratic candidate, received the highest number of public votes, meaning the majority of the total U.S. residents voted for him, but the state-by-state electoral votes favored George W. Bush, the Republican candidate, who won the election with 271 electoral votes (against 266 for Al Gore). In January 2017, another year will pass, and Barack Obama will officially hand over his position to the 45th President of the United States. Until then, candidates have a challenging path ahead and must navigate through numerous hurdles that eventually lead to the workplace and residence of the President: the 'White House.'