The U.S. President is not only the head of the government but also the commander-in-chief of the U.S. military. The U.S. will have its new leader in January 2017. Many are eagerly waiting to cast their votes in the November 2016 presidential election. For many new U.S. citizens this will be their first vote. Are you too waiting to vote in the 2016 election? If yes, this is the right time for you to know how the whole process works. The following will help you understand more about the election process.
Anyone who wishes to run for president must meet few requirements. They must be natural born American citizens, of age 35 or above. They must have resided in the U.S. for 14 years.
Every state and overseas territory will hold a series of elections before the presidential election in November. These state contests will determine who will become the official presidential candidate of each party. The winners will collect a number of delegates who will be eligible to vote for them at the party conventions. The candidate who wins more state contests will have more delegates to support them at the convention. Party conventions will be held in July which is when the final presidential nominees for each party will formally be confirmed.
Iowa has already held a contest on February 1, 2016. Other states will hold elections to select their presidential candidates in the coming days and months. By the end of April, all American states would have picked their presidential candidates. However, the candidates for each party will officially be announced in the party conventions in July.
When you vote for a President on November 8, 2016, you will actually vote for a presidential elector. These electors are collectively known as the Electoral College. These electors chosen by the people of every state are those who will vote for the President. Each American state will be assigned a certain number of electors ranging between 3 and 54, based on the representation of the states in Congress. Not all states will be assigned the same number of electors. A total of 538 electors will vote for the President. The one who receives 270 votes will be sworn as the President of the U.S. The new American President will be inaugurated on January 20, 2017.
If you would also like to vote in the presidential election, apply for U.S. citizenship now, if you are eligible.