Explained: How US elects its President? A look at the electoral process

The US presidential election process can be a long and daunting process. With final presidential polls set to be held in November 2024, Donald Trump secured his first crucial victory in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses on Monday night. But what are these caucuses, and how are they different from primaries? What's the process for candidate nomination and how do elections happen in the US?

Here's all you need to know about the US poll procedures which takes months. The detailed information mentioned below was gathered from the website of the US government and the US embassy and consulate.

First, a quick recap:

One year before US elections: Candidates from the two main political parties — the Democrats and the Republicans — begin their campaign trails. This part of the campaign includes setting up their team and conducting rallies to seek support and fundraise for their campaigns.

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At the start of the campaigns: Democrat and Republican candidates participate in televised debates. During the debates, each candidate answers tough questions about their policies. They also get a chance to defend their stance on issues and policies against other candidates.

Elections process begins: Here are the steps that the US follow to elect its president every four years:

Step 1: Primaries and Caucuses

The main voting events — Primaries and Caucuses — help in the selection of delegates who will represent the people at the upcoming conventions. These are simply two ways that people help states and political parties choose presidential nominees.

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Caucuses: It's a stage at which party members select the best candidate through a series of discussions and votes. It's a meeting of local members of a political party to select delegates to the national party convention. A caucus is said to be a substitute for primary elections. A delegate is defined as a person authorised to represent others as an elected representative to a political party conference.

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Primary: In this, party members vote for the best candidate that will represent them in the general election. Most states hold primaries six to nine months before a presidential election. Primary voters choose their preferred candidate anonymously by casting secret ballots.

The main focus remains on the results from Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The results in these regions usually determine who the final presidential nominee for each party will be.

Step 2: National Conventions

To become the presidential nominee, a candidate has to win a majority of delegates. Each party then holds a national convention to select a final presidential nominee.

At this stage, delegates selected during the primaries and caucuses "to represent the people" will "endorse" their favourite candidates. Simply put, state delegates go to the national convention to vote to confirm their choice of candidates. The final presidential nominee from each party will be officially announced at the end of the conventions.

If no candidate gets the majority of a party's delegates during the primaries and caucuses, convention delegates choose the nominee. This happens through additional rounds of voting.

It is at the convention that the presidential candidate chooses a “running mate” — a Vice Presidential candidate. The presidential candidates campaign throughout the country to win the support of the general public.

Step 3: Presidential general election

In general elections, people in every state across the US vote for one President and Vice President. The candidates’ names will be listed on the general election ballot.

Notably, candidates from minor political parties and independent candidates might not have a national convention. But they may be on the ballot on a state-by-state basis if they meet the eligibility requirements.

The elections take place on the first Tuesday of November.

But the process doesn't end here….

When people cast their vote, they are actually voting for a group of people known as electors. Each candidate running for President in your State has their own group of electors (known as a slate). When you vote for a Presidential candidate you are actually voting for your candidate's preferred electors.

Step 4: Electoral College

The president and vice president are not elected directly by citizens in the US. Instead, they are chosen by "electors" through a process called the Electoral College. 

The Electoral College is a process in which electors or representatives from each state cast their vote and determine who will be president. Each state is given a number of electors based roughly on its size of population.

There are a total of 538 electors selected according to each state’s policy. Each state gets a certain number of electors based on its representation in Congress. Each elector casts one vote following the general election, and the candidate, who gets more than half (270), wins.

That's why, the general elections in November don't tell who is actually going to win. And this is why there are times when a candidate wins the presidency (electoral votes) but not the popular votes (voted by people during the general election).

Watch this video for more clarity

How does the Electoral College process work?

Usually, the candidate who gets the most votes in a state, gets all its electoral votes. "If they win the state by 1 percent, they win 100 percent of electoral votes," VOX media explains. And that's why, the numbers of electors in each state plays a significant role.

1. After one casts their ballot for president, your vote goes to a statewide tally. In 48 states and Washington, DC, the winner gets all the electoral votes for that state. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system.

2. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electors — more than half of all electors — to win the presidential election.

3. In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in November after you vote. But the actual Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December when the electors meet in their states.

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Candidates focus their energy on swing stats, which can vote either way. Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Arizona are the swing states in the US election, Euronews said. Winning in these states is key to getting the magic number of 270 electoral votes.

The final state: The newly elected President and Vice President take charge in January.