U.S. Electoral College System 

Syllabus: GS 2/IR

In News 

• U.S. citizens will vote on November 5 to choose the 47th President, with main candidates being Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris.

How is the U.S. President elected?

• U.S. presidential elections occur every four years on the first Tuesday of November.
• Eligibility Requirements: Candidates must be natural-born U.S. citizens, at least 35 years old, and have resided in the U.S. for 14 years.
  • They must register with the Federal Election Commission if they raise or spend over $5,000.
• Primaries and Caucuses:Once candidates announce their intentions to run for the post of the President, the process of primary and caucus debates starts.
  • Primaries: State-run elections where voters select their preferred party candidates by secret ballot.
  • Caucuses: Party-run gatherings where voters discuss and choose candidates.
    • Types: Open (any voter can participate), closed (only registered party members), and semi-closed
• National Conventions: Parties officially nominate their presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
  • Delegates, pledged or unpledged, vote for the nominee. If no candidate wins a majority, additional rounds are held
• General Election Voting:Takes place in November, with all major party candidates on the ballot.
  • Registered voters can vote for any candidate, regardless of primary participation or party registration.
  • States allow early, absentee, and mail-in voting with varying rules.

About Electoral College System:

• The electoral college is an intermediary body or process that chooses the U.S. President.
•  The President is chosen by securing a majority of electoral college votes (270 out of 538), not the popular vote.
• Electors’ Selection:Each state’s voters choose electors who then vote for the President. States have electors equal to their Congressional representation (House + Senate).
  • The electors, pledged to a candidate, vote in December based on their state’s popular vote outcome.
• Faithless Electors: Electors who do not vote according to the popular vote are called “faithless electors.” Some states penalize them, though they rarely affect results.
• Popular Vote Impact: Generally, the party that wins a state’s popular vote sends its electors to the electoral college, who are expected to vote accordingly.
• Except in Maine and Nebraska, the winner of a state’s popular vote takes all its electoral votes.
• Tie Scenario: If there’s a 269-269 tie, the House of Representatives votes to decide the President, with each state delegation having one vote. A candidate needs 26 votes to win.
• Congress Vote Count: Congress will meet in January to count the electoral votes, and the new President will be inaugurated on January 20, 2025.
• Vice-Presidential Election: The Senate votes for the Vice-President, with each Senator having one vote. A candidate needs 51 votes to win.
• Potential Split Outcomes: Since the President and Vice-President are elected separately by the House and Senate, they could be from different parties if votes are divided.
• Vote Counting and Inauguration: Congress counts electoral votes in early January.
  • The new President’s term begins on January 20, Inauguration Day.

Source: TH