A simple graphic explaining the 2024 election.

(CLO) Election Day in the US is less than a week away. Below is information and graphics that provide a simple explanation of the 2024 US Presidential election.

Who can vote?

In the United States, citizens must meet several basic eligibility criteria to vote. They must be U.S. citizens, residents of the state where they register to vote, and at least 18 years of age.

Voting rights can vary from state to state, particularly when it comes to criminal convictions. For example, individuals with prior convictions may face restrictions in some states, including the permanent loss of voting rights.

There are approximately 160 million registered voters, but not all will cast their ballots. In the 2020 election, voter turnout was only about 66%, although this was the highest in over a century.

The debate between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris is shown on a screen at a restaurant in Washington, DC, on September 10. Photo: AFP

How do elections work in the US?

American politics is dominated by the center-left and liberal Democratic Party and the right-wing and conservative Republican Party. Potential candidates from each party compete to represent their party in the presidential election.

To select their nominees, the Democratic and Republican parties hold primary elections or caucuses in each state, culminating in the winner accepting the nomination at the Republican or Democratic national convention.

This process pitted Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris against former Republican President Donald Trump this year.

US President Joe Biden initially sought re-election for a second term, but he dropped out in July after a disastrous debate performance raised doubts about his ability to lead for another four years.

There are also third-party or independent candidates, such as Jill Stein of the Green Party, Chase Oliver of the Liberal Party, and anti-war scholar Cornel West.

During the election phase, presidential candidates nominate their "running mates"—in this race, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz of the Democratic Party and Ohio Senator JD Vance of the Republican Party—who will become vice president if their presidential candidate wins. Voters then cast ballots for president and vice president, and the results of this vote are then passed to the Electoral College.

Since 1845, elections in the United States have been held on the first Tuesday of November. However, voters can also cast early ballots in most states, and more than 52 million votes have been cast.

How does the Electoral College work?

To understand how elections work in the US and how voters choose their next leader, it's necessary to understand the US Electoral College.

Unlike members of the U.S. Congress , who are directly elected by voters, the U.S. president is not elected by a single nationwide vote. Instead, when Americans vote, they are choosing a list of "electoral college" candidates from their respective states.

Electors are individuals who pledge to vote for specific presidential and vice-presidential candidates. After the votes are counted and confirmed, these electors officially cast their ballots for the president and vice-president they have pledged to support.

Graphics: AJ

How many electoral votes are needed to win an election?

To win the US presidential election, you need to secure 270 electoral votes out of the 538 available.

This system can produce unexpected results. A candidate who dominates the national popular vote may still not win the election because they lose the Electoral College, a situation that has occurred five times in American history. The most recent instance was in 2016, when Trump won the presidential election against Hillary Clinton despite losing by nearly three million votes nationwide.

Graphics: AJ

What do the polls tell us?

As Election Day approaches, Harris and Trump are neck and neck, fiercely competing for control of key swing states.

According to FiveThirtyEight's polling tracker, Harris holds a narrow 1.5-point lead nationwide, although Trump has nearly closed the gap. A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows Harris leading by just one point, within the margin of error.

Trump holds the upper hand on economic and immigration issues, while Harris has an advantage on political extremism and abortion rights.

Swing states, also known as battleground states, such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Arizona, show close margins. Although national polls favor Harris, the outcome of the Electoral College remains uncertain, reflecting the unpredictability of the election.

When will the results be announced?

That's still uncertain. It's highly unlikely the winner will be determined on election night. However, it's not impossible. Traditionally, the winner is announced the night or morning after the election.

When polling stations close across the country on Election Day, the media will report on the results in real time. The final vote count may not be immediately available, especially as the volume of mail-in and absentee ballots increases. In some cases, states have laws allowing the counting of postmarked ballots before Election Day even if they arrive later. This process can lead to delays in some states.

If no candidate wins all 270 electoral votes, an extraordinary election will take place. The House of Representatives elects the president, with each state casting one vote, and the Senate elects the vice president. A House candidate needs a majority (26 states) to win. This rare process last occurred in 1824 when former President John Quincy Adams was elected by the House after candidate Andrew Jackson won the most popular and electoral votes, but not an absolute majority (more than half).

Hoai Phuong (according to AJ)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bau-cu-my-con-5-ngay-do-hoa-va-thong-tin-giai-thich-don-gian-ve-cuoc-dua-vao-nha-trang-post319317.html