US Presidential Election

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Context (IE): Donald J Trump was elected the 47th president of the US defeating incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris.

The US President is both the head of state and the head of government of the United States of America. In addition, S/he is the head of the executive branch of government and the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces.
Eligibility for US President:
- Natural-born citizen of the country
- 35 years of age or older
- Resident of the U.S. for 14 years
Tenure of US President: Four Years. In the US, a person can be the President for only two terms.

The two main parties (Democrats & Republicans) nominate a presidential candidate by holding a series of votes called state primaries and caucuses. Independent candidates, too, run for the post of President.
- The Democrats are a liberal political party whose agenda is defined largely by its push for civil rights, a broad social safety net, and measures to address climate change.
- The Republicans, known as the Grand Old Party, is a conservative political party. It advocates for lower taxes, shrinking the size of the government & tighter restrictions on immigration and abortion.
US citizens who are aged 18 or over. Every state except North Dakota requires people to register before they can vote. U.S. votes for its President on the first Tuesday of November, every four years.

Election Process

Credits: LM

Primaries and Caucuses

Primaries are State-level elections in which political parties select their presidential candidates. They are usually held 6-9 months before the general election, and voters choose their candidates anonymously through secret ballots.
Caucuses are run by political parties. Here, party members select the “best candidate” through voting.

National Conventions

National conventions are where parties select their presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
State delegates confirm their choices through votes, and the person who gets the majority becomes the party’s presidential candidate. In case no candidate gets the majority, convention delegates participate in additional rounds of voting to choose a nominee.
The chosen presidential candidate also announces their running mate – the vice-presidential candidate – at the national convention.

General Election

Candidates of major political parties are listed on the ballot.
Registered voters can participate in the general election even if they did not vote in the primary elections. They can also vote for any candidate, their registration with the party does not matter.

Electoral College

The President is not elected through the votes cast by citizens but through the electoral college process.
It consists of electors from each state who officially elect the President and Vice President.
The number of electors from each state corresponds to its congressional representation (Senators and Representatives). A candidate must secure a majority of electoral votes (270) to win the presidency.

India vs US Presidential Election

Basis	India	USA
About	Head of State with ceremonial powers; real executive power lies with the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers	US President is both head of state & of government with significant executive powers.
Eligibility	Must be: Citizen of India 35 years or older Qualified to become a member of Lok Sabha. Should not hold any office of profit under the government Note: A naturalized citizen can become President in India.	Must be: Natural-born citizen of USA 35 years or older Resident of the U.S. for 14 years Note: A naturalized citizen is not eligible to become President in the USA.
Tenure	Five years. Eligible for re-election to the office for any number of terms.	Four Years. A person can be President for only two terms.
Nomination Process	Requires 50 proposers and 50 seconders	Nominated by political parties through primaries.
Role of Political Party	Non-partisan role; no direct party involvement in election process	Significant role; candidates are from political parties
Manner of Election	Indirectly elected by members of an electoral college consisting of elected members of both Houses of Parliament and elected members of Legislative Assemblies of States and UTs of Delhi and Pondicherry.	Indirectly elected by Electoral College, which consists of Electors chosen by voters through popular vote (Electors represent states in the Electoral College)
Number of Electors	Varies depending on the total number of MPs & MLAs	538 electors. Calculated based on the total number of members in the U.S. Congress plus 3 electors for Washington, D.C.
Electoral College voting system	Weighted Voting System; Votes are weighted to balance the representation of states and the center	Winner-Takes-All in most states; candidate winning a majority in a state secures all its electoral votes
Voting Method	Secret Ballot	Secret Ballot
Requirement to win Presidential Elections	Candidate must receive more than 50% of valid votes in Electoral College	Candidate must secure at least 270 out of 538 electoral votes.