How Presidents are Elected in US?
The President of the United States is elected through a two-step process that involves both the election of the president and the election of the Vice President. The President is elected through the Electoral College, while the Vice President is elected through a separate vote of the U.S. Senate.
The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors, with each state receiving a number of electors equal to its total number of Representatives and Senators in the U.S. Congress. In 48 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, the winner of the popular vote in each state is awarded all of its electors. In Maine and Nebraska, two electors are awarded to the winner of the popular vote in each Congressional district, with the remaining two electors being awarded to the winner of the state’s popular vote.
In order to be elected president, a candidate must receive an absolute majority of the Electoral College vote, which is currently 270 out of 538. If no candidate receives an absolute majority, then the election is decided by the U.S. House of Representatives, with each state delegation receiving one vote.
The process of electing the Vice President is separate from the election of the President. If no candidate for Vice President receives a majority of the votes cast in the Electoral College, then the U.S. Senate holds a separate vote to determine the Vice President. In this case, each senator casts one vote, and the Vice President is elected if they receive a majority of the votes cast.
The election of the President and Vice President is held every four years on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. In a presidential election year, eligible citizens across the country go to the polls to cast their votes for President and Vice President. The results of the election are then transmitted to the President of the Senate, who opens and reads the certificates of the electoral votes before a joint session of Congress.
Once the Electoral College votes have been counted and certified, the President-elect and Vice President-elect take the oath of office on January 20th of the year following the election. The oath is administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the President-elect must swear to “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
In conclusion, the election of the President and Vice President in the United States is a two-step process that involves both the election of the President through the Electoral College and the election of the Vice President through a separate vote of the U.S. Senate. The President must receive an absolute majority of the Electoral College vote to be elected, while the Vice President is elected if they receive a majority of the votes cast in the Electoral College or the U.S. Senate. The election of the President and Vice President takes place every four years on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November, and the results are certified by Congress before the President-elect and Vice President-elect take the oath of office on January 20th of the following year.
