United States presidential election

The United States presidential election is a process where citizens vote for electors who then cast their ballots for president and vice president. The two major political parties are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. While the framers of the Constitution intended a nonpartisan process, political parties quickly became central to elections.123456

The election occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Most states use a winner-takes-all system for their electoral votes. The electors meet in December to cast their votes, and Congress certifies the results in January. A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win. Presidential candidates must be at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and a resident of the U.S. for at least 14 years.516