Questions about the US presidential election

(Dan Tri) - The 2024 US presidential election has entered the final stages, as candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are focusing on campaigning in battleground states. This year's race has many unexpected elements.

US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump race for the White House (Photo: AFP).

When will the 2024 US presidential election take place? US law stipulates that presidential elections take place every four years, in even-numbered years, on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The 2024 US presidential election is scheduled to take place on November 5 and will be a two-horse race between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump. Who can vote? According to the Constitution, US citizens aged 18 and over can participate in elections. However, in elections, there is always a large number of people who do not want to vote, because they are not interested in politics or simply do not like the candidates. Do presidential elections only elect the president? Although the race to the White House always attracts the most attention, in reality, presidential elections in the US are conducted in parallel with congressional elections to select members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In addition, depending on the requirements of each state, voters will have other questions on the ballot such as electing the Governor, electing the legislature and elected positions of the state or holding a referendum on a number of issues. Who has the right to run for US President? The US Constitution stipulates that to be president, a person must be born in the US, at least 35 years old, and have resided in the US for at least 14 years. The vice president must also meet similar standards. How are presidential candidates selected? After basically determining the most potential candidate in the primary round, the Democratic and Republican parties will hold a national convention to officially nominate the party's candidate to run for president and vice president. To receive the nomination, each candidate needs to achieve a majority of the delegate votes. For example, former President Donald Trump was officially nominated by the Republican Party after receiving 2,387 out of 2,429 delegate votes. In the Democratic Party, Vice President Kamala Harris also received the party's nomination after President Joe Biden unexpectedly stopped running in late July. How many votes are needed to win the presidential election?

American voters cast their ballots (Illustration: EPA).

The president and vice president are elected by the electors of the states, not directly by the people. Each state elects a number of electors equal to the total number of senators and representatives in the state. There are two different ballots: the presidential ballot and the vice presidential ballot. The person with the most votes in the presidential election, and exceeding 50% of the electoral votes, is elected president. The same is true for the vice presidency. Can the presidential candidate be determined on election day? As soon as the polls close at the end of election day, the local election commission will begin counting the popular vote. The results of the vote by precinct will be announced gradually. The identity of the winner will be determined after a few hours. However, the candidate with the most popular votes is not necessarily elected president. In other words, after election day, it is not certain who will become the president of the United States. After the popular vote is announced, the electors will convene on December 17 to vote for president and vice president. The electoral votes are sent to Congress and counted directly in a plenary session in January 2025, and the presidential candidate is announced. Who are the electors? Electors are people who have publicly pledged their support for a candidate in advance. The number of electors for each state is usually determined based on the population of that state. Therefore, in most states (except Maine and Nebraska), the presidential candidate who wins the most popular votes also receives all of that state's electoral votes. The electors make up the state's Electoral College. The entire United States has 538 electoral votes, equal to the number of seats in the US Congress (535) plus 3 electors from Washington, DC. The candidate who wins at least 270 electoral votes, or more than 50% of the 538 electoral votes, will be elected President of the United States. What happens if no candidate wins a majority of the electoral votes? Although this is very rare, there is a scenario where no candidate wins a majority of the electoral votes. The US House of Representatives then has the right to elect the President from among the candidates with the most votes. After the official results are out and there is no dispute, the winner will be sworn in and officially assume the position of President in a ceremony taking place on January 20 of the following year. Why are US presidential campaigns so expensive?

Supporters at an outdoor campaign event for Mr. Trump (Photo: Reuters).

US presidential campaigns are expensive due to their size, complex election process, huge advertising costs, expensive campaign advisors, and fierce competition among candidates. Campaigns often last for months. Candidates must spend money on media to reach voters. The cost of each promotion will depend on the time of posting and the influence of each media channel. Campaigns also require a team of advisors in many fields to manage the campaign effectively, respond quickly to changes throughout the election season, and ensure support from voters. Are election polls accurate? In 2016, most surveys showed that Republican candidate Donald Trump would lose to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. However, in the final election results, Mr. Trump won by winning more electoral votes. The inaccurate results in 2016 revealed some limitations of the surveys. Polls generally only provide a general sense of who is favored at a given moment, but they do not necessarily indicate who will win. In addition, polls focus on voters in specific states, whereas the electoral system requires voters to vote for electors, who then vote for the president.

According to BBC, Reuters, CBS

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