The presidential race is a fascinating part of our democracy. Learn how candidates from the two main political parties (Democrats and Republicans) compete to become the party’s nominee for President of the United States. The process includes a series of political primaries and caucuses as well as national conventions. Then there is the general election in November. The candidate with the most electoral votes becomes President of the United States.
The United States Constitution outlines the rules for electing a President but leaves it to the states and the political parties to figure out how that will happen. The process of choosing a party’s presidential nominee has evolved over time. Today, most states choose their presidential nominees through a series of contested primaries or caucuses.
In the early stages of a campaign, candidates may face each other in televised debates. Each candidate is given around 2 minutes to answer a question. After that, the opposing candidate has about 1 minute to rebut or respond to the first candidate’s argument. A moderator usually asks the questions. There are also color indicators resembling traffic lights that help the candidate know how much time is left. Green indicates 30 seconds, yellow indicates 15 seconds, and red indicates only 5 seconds are left before the candidate is required to stop responding to the question.
Once a candidate wins the majority of delegates at their national party convention they become the official presidential nominee. At the same time, the candidate will also select a running mate (Vice Presidential candidate). The U.S. Constitution requires that a majority of the electoral college vote must be cast in order to elect a president and vice president.
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