On November 2nd, 2004, Americans will go to the polls to elect their next president. For the roughly 5.7 billion of us who won’t be allowed to vote, that should not be of much importance. In light of the United States’ international power, however, the close race will be difficult to ignore.
But what is really going on over there? Most American teenagers take a course in Civics during high school, where they theoretically learn to interpret their country’s somewhat confusing electoral system. What are the rest of us to do with muddled results and that mysterious electoral college?
For those of us who are interested in the presidential election but don’t have time to grab a political science degree in the next two months, we present here a brief overview of the American electoral system. Some parts are basic but worth repeating, and some are complex but important to understand. We hope it will give you the tools to understand what is happening as the campaign wraps up and the votes start to come in.
Five Steps to the Presidency
1.Primaries and Caucuses
Presidential candidates must be born in the United States and be at least 35 years old. They can only sit two terms, or eight years. The two major political parties in the United States are the Democrats and the Republicans. Theoretically, Republicans are right of center and Democrats are left of center, but in recent years both parties have shifted towards the right. The Green Party is a much smaller party focusing on environmental issues. For reasons that we’ll discuss later on, it is very difficult for smaller parties to be elected in the United States.
Before the presidential campaign begins, the parties must choose their candidates. Caucuses are a series of closed meetings at every level by which delegates are chosen to send to the national convention of each party. In general, there is a vote at each level which sends delegates to the next level. Many people believe that since caucuses generally include the most involved party members, they are undemocratic. Partly because of this, most states now use primaries. Iowa is one notable exception.
In a primary, many people vote to make a particular person the party’s candidate. To vote in a “closed” primary, citizens must say that they voted for the party in the last election and intend to support it in the next – but they don’t have to mean it, because there is obviously no way to check. In “open” primaries, voters can participate in only one primary, regardless of who they usually vote for. In “blanket” primaries, voters can participate in all parties’ primaries, and help select all of the presidential nominees.
The first primary is customarily held in New Hampshire, and receives a lot of media attention. 21 mostly southern states hold their primaries on the same day, which is known as “Super Tuesday” and can be of crucial importance in winning the nomination.
2.The National Conventions
Caucuses and primaries both select delegates who then go to national conventions. Delegates are elected or chosen on the assumption that they will vote for a particular presidential hopeful at the national convention. Complicated formulas decide how many delegates each state sends. In some states, all delegates must vote for the same candidate – this system is called “winner take all”.
Delegates are not bound to their promise – they could say that they are voting for one person and then vote for someone else – but most sign informal pledges and keep their promise.
By the time national conventions roll around, the candidate that the party will select is usually obvious. Conventions where there is significant dissent can turn off voters close to the all-important election, so surprises are usually avoided.
At the convention, the new presidential candidate announces a “running mate”, who will be vice president if they are elected. Most candidates try to choose a running mate who has qualities they don’t have, and will attract a different group of voters.
3.The Election
On the first Tuesday in November, American citizens can vote for their president. They do not directly elect a president, however – they select “electors”, who will carry their opinion to the electoral college.
In some states, the party with the majority of the popular vote gets every elector – this is the “winner take all” system again. It makes it impossible for a smaller party to get a vote to the electoral college, where the presidency is ultimately decided. Maine and Nebraska use a slightly different system, where the winner of the popular vote in each district gets one elector, and the winner of the popular vote in the state gets two electors.
The number of electors from each state is roughly proportional to its population. This, combined with the “winner take all” system, means that the popular vote in states such as California (which has 52 electors) is extremely important, while the vote in states such as Kansas (which has only 4 electors) is less important.
4.The Electoral College
The Electoral College is composed of electors selected by the voters in each state. They never actually meet face to face; this is a custom established to reduce the effectiveness of last minute influence pedaling or corruption. The electors of each state meet independently and send their sealed votes.
As at the conventions, “rogue” electors can vote for a different candidate than they originally promised. The first candidate to win 270 electoral votes wins the election.
5.Swearing In
The new president is officially sworn in in January. Shortly thereafter, the cabinet (Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, etc.) is appointed by the president, and a new government is born.
This is the road to the American presidency. Check back next issue for an overview of the controverial election in 2000.
Sources
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On November 2nd, 2004, Americans will go to the polls to elect their next president. For the roughly 5.7 billion of us who won’t be allowed to vote, that should not be of much importance. In light of the United States’ international power, however, the close race will be difficult to ignore.