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US Presidential Election 2024: Presidential elections will be held in America on 5 November 2024. As the election time is getting closer, the politics of allegations and counter-allegations between presidential contenders Joe Biden and Donald Trump is getting heated.
The process of electing the US President every four years is very complex. The entire election process consists of several stages, including caucuses and primaries, political conventions, general elections, and the Electoral College.
How does the election start?
The President of the United States is elected every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The next presidential election will be held on November 5, 2024. The election process begins one year before the election date.
First stage 'primary' and 'caucus'
First phase 'primary' and 'caucus' First of all, through two phases 'primary' and 'caucus', the American people, states and political parties help to select presidential candidates. Both of these have their own importance. In 'primaries' the public chooses its candidate within 6 to 9 months of the presidential election.
In this, different delegates of different parties vote for the best candidate, who represents the party in the general election. Primary elections are held in most states. Primary voters choose their preferred candidate by secret ballot. 'Caucus' is a stage in which party members vote after debates and select the best candidate. Separate candidates are selected for Democrats and Republicans.
Second phase 'National Conference'
The second stage is the 'National Convention', which requires a majority of delegates to become a presidential candidate. Each party holds a national convention to select its presidential candidate. During this stage, the elected delegates 'endorse' the candidates of their choice during the primaries and caucuses.
At the end of the conventions, the final presidential candidate from each party is announced. The presidential candidate chooses his vice presidential candidate at the national convention. The presidential candidates then campaign across the country to gain public support.
Smaller political parties and independents do not have access to a national convention, but may stand for election once they meet eligibility requirements.
Third phase of the general election
In general elections, people from each U.S. state vote for the president and vice president. When people vote, they are actually voting for a group. Each candidate running for president has his or her own group of electors, called a slate. When people vote for a presidential candidate, they are actually choosing their candidate's preferred electors.
Fourth Phase: Electoral College
In America, the public does not directly elect the President. People vote directly to elect the President, but the winner of the presidency is determined by the number of votes received in the Electoral College, and this process is complicated.
This is how electoral votes are counted
These 538 electoral votes are distributed among 11 territories of the US, which includes 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each state is allocated electoral votes in proportion to its population. In the presidential election, the votes of each state are counted separately.
For example, the state of Texas has 40 votes in the Electoral College. If Biden gets 21 votes and Trump gets 19 votes, Biden gets all 40 votes in the state as he leads. Thus, the candidate who wins the state's vote total and ultimately has the highest vote total becomes the President of the United States.
This is how a presidential debate takes place.
There are two major political parties in the US: Democrats and Republicans, whose candidates begin their election campaigns. Many candidates from different parties participate in this campaign and hold rallies to collect funds. After this, a discussion begins on the presidential candidates of the Democrat and Republican parties on TV, which is called a 'presidential debate'. During the debate, the two candidates take turns presenting their policies of national interest, answering their opponents' questions on those policies, and defending their policies against their opponents.
How did the 'political debate' start?
The unofficial beginning of the 'Presidential Debate' in AD was in 1858, when the Senate elections were being held in the state of Illinois. The contest was between Abraham Lincoln of the Republican Party and Stephen Douglas of the Northern Democrats.
Wherever Douglas went to give a speech, Lincoln would also go there. Lincoln would give a speech by finding faults in whatever Douglas said in his speech. Tired of Lincoln's constant pursuit, Douglas challenged him for a debate. Lincoln immediately agreed and thus the 'political debate' began. The first official 'Presidential Debate' took place in 1960 between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
Everyone's eyes are on the 'Presidential Debate' which gives a direct opportunity to prove who has the most strength. Voters form their opinion about the presidential candidates only after watching it.
Where are the presidential debates held?
In 1960, the first presidential debate was held in a TV studio, which was broadcast by various TV channels. Thereafter, there were no debates in the elections of 1964, 1968 and 1972. In 1976, several stage debates were held in public places such as colleges, theatres and music halls. Such debates also get sponsors. The presidential debates, which have been held in public places for many years, will be held in TV studios again this year.
What are the rules of debate?
From 1960 to 1988, the candidates answered questions from a panel of journalists. At that time, the moderator's job was only to explain the rules. It often happens that journalists deliberately ask such questions that distract the candidates. Then from 1992, the panel system was removed. From that year onwards, voters themselves started asking questions to the candidates, but finding that system very inconvenient, from 1996 only the moderator started taking the responsibility of asking questions.
Toss in the debate too!
By tossing the playing field, the winner gets to choose how to start the game. A similar toss is used during presidential debates. The candidate who wins the toss gets to choose one of 2 options. The choice of where to stand on the stage and the option to end the debate.
Most candidates win the toss and choose to stand on the 'left side of the stage', which is considered the most favorable position, because standing there allows viewers of the TV debate to see the candidate on the right side of the TV, and the attention of anyone watching is more focused on the candidate on the right side. The one who loses the toss gets a chance to give a closing statement.
How are the winners and losers of a debate decided?
After the debate, news channels and political experts give their opinion. They tell which candidate won the debate based on the accuracy of the answers and body language.
News channels and survey agencies conduct opinion polls after the debates and ask for the opinion of the audience. Public reaction on various social media platforms also helps in determining who has influenced whom. Agencies conduct 'voting intention surveys' in which they ask the public if the debates have changed their mind about 'who to vote for?' The candidate who changes the minds of more people is declared the winner.
However, it has also happened in the past that the candidate who won the debate lost the electoral vote. George W. Bush lost the debate in 2000 and 2004 but managed to win the electoral vote and become president. Donald Trump also won the presidency in 2016 despite losing the debate to Hillary Clinton.