Elections in the United States
Americans vote in many elections: for school boards, mayors, state legislators, governors, members of Congress and the president. Federal elections take place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years.
| Office | Term | How often elected |
|---|---|---|
| President | 4 years | every 4 years (2024, 2028…) |
| U.S. Representative | 2 years | every 2 years |
| U.S. Senator | 6 years | one-third of seats every 2 years |
Elections held halfway through a president’s term are called midterm elections. All 435 House seats and about one-third of Senate seats are on the ballot.
Who can vote?
U.S. citizens aged 18 or older can vote in federal elections. Most states require voters to register in advance. Rules about ID, mail-in voting and early voting vary from state to state, because states run elections.
Choosing the candidates
Before the general election, parties choose their candidates.
- In a primary, party voters cast ballots to choose a nominee. Some primaries are open to all voters; others only to registered party members.
- In a caucus, party members meet in person, discuss and choose candidates.
- Primaries and caucuses decide how many delegates each candidate wins. At the national convention in the summer, delegates officially nominate the party’s presidential candidate, who picks a running mate for vice president.
The two largest parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Smaller parties and independents also run but rarely win national office.
The Electoral College
Americans do not elect the president directly by national popular vote. Instead, they use the Electoral College.
How it works
- Each state gets electors equal to its number of members in Congress: House seats plus two senators. Washington, D.C., gets 3.
- There are 538 electors in total. A candidate needs a majority, 270, to win.
- On Election Day, voters in each state choose which candidate’s slate of electors will represent their state.
- In 48 states and D.C., the candidate who wins the most votes in the state wins all its electors ("winner-take-all").
- Maine and Nebraska divide some electors by congressional district.
- In December, electors meet in their states to cast their votes. Congress counts them in January.
- If no candidate gets 270, the House of Representatives chooses the president, with each state delegation casting one vote.
Example
| State | Electoral votes | Winner of state | Electors go to |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 54 | Candidate A | Candidate A |
| Texas | 40 | Candidate B | Candidate B |
| Florida | 30 | Candidate B | Candidate B |
(Electoral vote counts change after each census.)
Why it matters
Because most states are winner-take-all, a candidate can win the presidency while losing the national popular vote. This happened in 2000 and 2016. It also means campaigns focus on swing states, where either party could win.
Debating the Electoral College
| Supporters say | Critics say |
|---|---|
| it protects the influence of smaller states | votes in some states count more than others |
| it reflects the federal structure: the president is chosen by states | the winner of the popular vote can lose |
| it makes candidates build support across regions | campaigns ignore "safe" states |
| it contains disputes and recounts to individual states | it may discourage voters in safe states |
Changing it would require a constitutional amendment. Some states have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would give their electors to the national popular-vote winner if enough states join to reach 270.
Try it yourself
- Find how many electoral votes your state has, or pick a state.
- Using a blank map, build a path to 270 for an imaginary candidate.
- Explain how a candidate could lose the popular vote but win the presidency.
- Debate: "Should the United States elect the president by national popular vote?"
Quick recap
- Federal elections are held in November of even-numbered years.
- Parties choose candidates through primaries, caucuses and conventions.
- The Electoral College has 538 electors; 270 are needed to win.
- Most states give all their electors to the state’s popular-vote winner.
- The system is debated because the popular-vote winner can lose.