----------------------This is when the election process begins----------------------
Step 1: Primaries & Caucuses
There are many people who want to be President, each with their own ideas about how the government should work. People with similar ideas belong to the same political party. This is where primaries and caucuses come in. Candidates from each political party campaign through the country to win the favor of their party members.
Beginning in February the main voting events Primaries and Caucuses will lead to a selection of delegates who will represent the people at the upcoming conventions. The main focus will be on the results from Iowa New Hampshire Nevada and South Carolina which can usually determine who the final presidential nominee for each party will be.
In a Caucus
Party members select the best candidate through a series of discussions and votes.
In a Primary
Party members vote for the best candidate that will represent them in the general election.
Step 2: National Conventions
Each party holds a national convention to select a final presidential nominee. State delegates from the primaries and caucuses selected to represent the people will now “endorse” their favorite candidates and the final presidential nominee from each party will be officially announced at the end of the conventions. The presidential candidate also chooses a running mate (Vice Presidential candidate). The presidential candidates campaign throughout the country to win the general population's support.
Step 3: General Election
People in every state across the country vote for one President and Vice President. When Americans go to the polls in November they will select their favorite presidential candidate and their running mate.
When people cast their vote, they are actually voting for a group of people called electors. Except in the states of Maine and Nebraska, if a candidate receives the majority of the votes from the people of a state then the candidate will receive all electoral votes of that state.
The presidential nominee with the most electoral votes becomes the President of the United States.
Step 4: Electoral College
The Electoral College is a process in which electors or representatives from each state in number proportional to the state’s population cast their vote and determine who will be president.
Each state gets a certain number of electors based on its representation in Congress. There are a total of 538 electors selected according to each state’s policy. Each elector casts one vote following the general election and the candidate who gets more than half (270) wins.
The newly elected President and Vice President are inaugurated in January.
Information from the U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Kazakhstan
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is not a physical place. It is a process that includes the following:
In other U.S. elections, candidates are elected directly by popular vote. However, the president and vice president are not elected directly by citizens. Instead, they are chosen through the Electoral College process.
Who is in the Electoral College?
Each state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate). Including Washington, D.C.’s three electors, there are currently 538 electors in all. Find out how many electoral votes each state gets.
Each state’s political parties choose their own slate of potential electors. Who is chosen to be an elector, how, and when varies by state. Learn more about how electors are chosen.
How does the Electoral College process work?
1. After you cast your ballot for president, your vote goes to a statewide tally. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., the winner gets all the electoral votes for that state. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system.
2. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electors—more than half of all electors—to win the presidential election.
3. In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in November after you vote. But the actual Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December when the electors meet in their states.
While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states do. The rare elector who votes for someone else may be fined, disqualified, and replaced by a substitute elector. Or they may even be prosecuted by their state.
This information is from USA Gov.
Controversies with the Electoral College:
In recent years, state lawmakers have debated the continued use of the Electoral College. Should it be left intact or abolished? Improved or replaced? Opinions differ. We offer two views here. Trent England, director of the Save Our States project, favors the current system. Vermont Senator Christopher Pearson (P/D) sits on the board of the National Popular Vote Inc. and would do away with our winner-take-all system.
For the pros and cons of the Electoral College, check out the NCSL website.
Remember: You need to be registered to vote in Iowa.
To qualify to register you need to be a US Citizen, an Iowa resident, and at least 17 years old (and be 18 years old on or before election day).
To be unable to vote you are a convicted felon (unless your voting rights have been restored), be judged mentally incompetent to vote by a court, or claim the right to vote in any other place.
Click Here for an online voter registration form or Here to download the form. Don't remember if you registered, check Here.
On November 5th, 2024 you can exercise your right to vote for the presidential election. Should you wish to participate, you can look up the location where you can vote Here. Should you be away from your permanent address/voting location, you can request an absentee ballot (some call it a vote-by-mail). You can apply for it through your County Auditor or download a request form Here. For more information on absentee ballots in Iowa, click Here.
