U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A., on August 20, 2024, and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S.A., on August 15, 2024, are seen in a combination file photo. . |Photo provided by: Reuters
With just a few weeks left until the US election, American voters will choose their representative between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump on November 5th.
Direct voting for the 2024 presidential election also began on September 20, 2024, marking the beginning of a six-week sprint to Election Day after a summer of political turmoil.
This voting process has changed dramatically in American politics, with President Joe Biden withdrawing from the race following the disastrous results in the debate on June 27, 2024, and Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic nominee to replace him. After a tumultuous summer.
Harris will be running against Republican candidate Donald Trump, who faced two assassination attempts during his campaign.
Explanation | How is the American President elected?
The stage for the upcoming US presidential election is the Democratic Party of President and Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz, who are running against the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, and his running mate, J.D. Vance. Now that the option has been selected, preparations are complete.
Below are some of the important dates and events related to the US presidential election.
September 10, 2024: US Presidential Debate – On September 10, 2024, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris faced off on the debate stage for the first time.
October 1, 2024: Vice Presidential Debate – Democratic Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota and Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio clash on October 1, 2024.
November 5, 2024: This is when voters across the United States cast their votes in the presidential election.
November 25, 2024: Last day in 17 states and the District of Columbia to allow mail-in ballots to be received with a valid Election Day postmark.
December 11, 2024: Electors in each state officially cast their votes for president and vice president.
December 17, 2024: Deadline for 538 electoral votes to arrive in Washington.
January 6, 2025: Electoral votes are officially counted by Congress.
January 20, 2025: The elected president and vice president are sworn in and officially sworn into office.
The graph shows the number of electoral votes by state and by key dates up to Inauguration Day. |Photo courtesy: Graphic News
What is an electoral vote?
The Electoral College refers to the process by which U.S. states select electors, primarily based on winner-take-all rules, and the electors select the president and vice president. The university also tallies electoral votes by the U.S. Congress.
For example, if more than 50% of New York’s voters vote Democratic, all potential electors allocated to that state will be Democrats. Each state has the same number of electors as members of its Congressional delegation. That is, one for each member of the House of Representatives and two for each Senator. There are 538 electors nationwide, and a candidate needs to receive 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the presidency.
The 2024 US election is expected to be closely watched and highly influential, with many variables that could change the balance of power leading up to Election Day.
Published – October 23, 2024 4:20 PM IST
