A simple guide to US presidential election

The 2020 US presidential election will be held on November 3 and the race to the White House between US President Donald Trump and Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden is in its final stretch. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the election into a topsy turvy affair, with clouds of doubt about the process looming large. However, we at Opoyi, bring you a simple guide to the election, which happens every four years.

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Political parties involved:

The US political system is dominated by two parties – the Republicans and the Democrats – and the president mostly belongs to either of them.

The Republican Party- aka the Grand Old Party (GOP) is the conservative political party in the States. This year’s Republican candidate is Donald Trump, who is running for a second term. Other Republican presidents include George W Bush, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon.

The Democrats are the liberal political party in the States. And this year they have fielded Joe Biden as their presidential candidate. Biden had served as former president Barack Obama’s vice-president for eight years. Other than Obama, the former Democratic presidents include John F Kennedy and Bill Clinton.

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How does US election voting work?

The US presidential election is a simple choice between candidates from the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. However, sometimes, a third party enrolls in the race but it is rare for them to have an impact. For example, this year, American music producer Kanye West also decided to run for the election.

The two main political parties hold primaries and caucuses pan country during an election year to select their candidate. The candidates are then announced during their parties’ summer conventions.

The system of electors in the US is loosely based on the Roman Catholic College of Cardinals selecting the Pope, the Telegraph reported. The most knowledgeable and informed individuals from each state (50) would select a presidential candidate on merit.

So, the Americans cast their vote for electors and not the candidates themselves.

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What is an electoral college

The electoral college consists of 538 members. The number of members that a state gets is based on the population size.  California, the most populous state, has 55 electors. Some other sparsely populated states like Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming have only three electors each. 

The president and the vice-president will be elected by the electoral college in December.

What is mail-in voting?

Under the mail-in voting system, an electorate votes by mail. These votes are collected much before the actual day of voting. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this method has gained prominence, this year. 

What does it take to win?

The successful candidate must amass 270 electoral votes, an absolute majority of the 538 electors.

Importance of swing states.

The key to the parties involved in the election is to target specific battleground states – swing states. There are several swing states which are key to winning the election.

According to a Telegraph report, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona could prove to be decisive in the outcome of the election.

Voting eligibility.

To take part in the US election, you should be a US citizen and of 18-year-old or above.

However, some states require voters to show identification documents before they can vote.

What happens on Election Day.

On November 3, those who have not sent a mail-in ballot will head to the polls and the task of counting of votes will begin later that day.

(Making sense of the US elections can be a bit baffling. Opoyi explainers help you navigate laws and processes by answering some frequently asked questions.)