How To Become President Of The
United States
Constitutional Rights
- You must be born in america
- Be the age of 35
- If you are not born in the United states must live in the United States for 14 years
- The constitutional rights do say you can be 35 and live in the United States for 14 years but it is highly recommended you wait to run until you are well experienced in politics.
STEP 1: Primaries and Caucuses
- A primary is in which a state holds a secret ballot so no one knows what candidate your voting for or choosing.
- While a Caucus is a local meeting or gathering where people cast there votes to which ever party or candidate they choose. After a series of discussions. Note that this one is not private.
- Caucuses are only held in certain states, those states are; Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Wyoming and Iowa.
- Each Candidate has a representative to talk or argue for them to gain votes and followers.
STEP 2: NATIONAL CONVENTIONS
This is where parties decided who will be the President and Vice President candidates.
At the National Convention the presidential candidates will announce their running mates; the Vice president.
- There are two main conventions, The republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention. Third parties might hold a National Convention they just aren't as recognized.
- National Conventions are always held in the summer before Presidential elections.
- Each party will write their platform at these conventions also. A platform is a plan of action for the government in the next four years.
- All 50 states send delegates to these conventions to represent their state votes. Small states may have less delegates while larger states may have multiple delegates.
STEP 3: GENERAL ELECTIONS
The race for the White-House is all over the news now. For the next few months after the candidates have been chosen, they go out all over the US to meet and greet with voters. They also give and prepare hundreds of speeches, interviews. Also during this time presidential debates take place.
- The First Tuesday every November is Election Day! People all over the country go to their local polling places to vote for their candidate.
- Most polls can be located ate your local court house, library or schools.
- You can vote on paper ballots or there are also electronic voting machines.
- As the voters leave they are asked by reporters who they voted for. They keep track to predict who will win way before all the votes are counted. This is called a popular vote.
STEP 4: ELECTORAL COLLEGE
The Electoral College is when 538 electors cast their votes. Their votes determine who will be President and Vice President.
- Each state get two senates make that 100 senates
- Then each state has representatives the number of representatives is determined by the population in that state.
- There are 538 electoral votes possible. We get this number by 435 (representatives) + 100 (senators)+ 3 (electoral Votes from DC)
- Out off the 538 electoral votes in order to win President you need to have 270 of the electoral votes.
- A candidate could get more votes from the people than his opposing candidate but get only 240 electoral votes and lose.
- In order for a candidate to win over a state they must gain more than 50% of the electoral votes. This is called ¨Winner take all¨ system.
- Only 48 states use The winner take all system. The other two states Maine and Nebraska use the system called the Distract system. This is where each candidate wins an electoral vote each time they win a popular vote. The last two remaining votes go to the candidate with the most votes state wide.
- Newly elected Presidents are sworn into office in January.
By: Brianna Hartmann