These Election Facts Will Help You Understand Its Importance

Different countries conduct their general elections at different times.

U.S. citizens elect candidates directly by popular vote; however, vice presidents and presidents are not directly elected by citizens. Instead, they are selected by a process known as the Electoral College. 

This is the procedure for electing representatives from the Constitution. This was a compromise between the popular vote and the congressional vote.

States get electors the same way as members of Congress. In addition, it includes three electors from Washington DC; there are currently 530 electors total. According to the general rule, Americans should go to the polls to vote for a vice president or a new president.

You may not know how election facts differed in past years. Did you know that former President Barack Obama is not a natural-born American citizen, but still, he was the president? He won with the maximum ballot of electoral votes as a candidate in the general election. Votes are finalized at the national convention through primaries and caucuses. If no one gets majority votes, then the conventional delegate chooses the nominee.

The Role Of Elections

The role of elections in every country holds quite an important place. It should be free and fair so that every representative can work for the country. The general election is held in a democratic country; where voting is done, citizens choose their leaders who represent them.

Free and fair elections ensure that the government formed is according to the people's will. In 2020, so many different things happened during the election in the United States. Firstly, there was a record turnout; there were 100 million ballots filled out even before Election Day. Secondly, Joe Biden won 306 Electoral College votes; it was exactly the same as Donald Trump when he won the election in 2016. He also won the popular vote with more than 50.8%.

Due to the pandemic, in 2020, more voters cast ballots through the mail. Voting through the mail was featured in every election since the Civil War. Mail-in ballots were cast at an unparalleled rate where both President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump won the election.

But the election in 2020 was nothing like the election in 2000 in American history. At that time, the outcome was dependent on only one state, Florida. It is where 537 votes separated the candidates. The design of the ballots was very confusing. In 2020, Joe Biden had 10,000 votes, which was more than the electoral votes that President Donald Trump got in close states. President Trump filed dozens of lawsuits claiming that hundreds of votes were a fraud. After 2000, every state started conducting a test on ballots for every ballot.

The Number Of Elections In The U.S.

The federal election is held the first Tuesday in November of each calendar year. This is when the president gets elected for a four-year term. At the same time, the 435 seats in the House of Representatives are elected for two years.

There are 100 members in the United States Senate and one-third are renewed every two years through votes. Because of the federal election, the election is classified into three categories. 

Presidential election: The election held for the president of the US is held every four years, which coincides with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 or 34 seats in the Senate out of 100 seats.

Midterm election: Midterm elections occur every two years after the presidential election. The Senate, with 33 or 34 members, and the House of Representatives, with 435 members, compete.

Off-year election: An off-year election happens during odd-numbered years. This election occurs in when they have to fill vacant seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Also, it can happen when any major party resigns or if someone dies while in office.

In 1824, the first election was recorded and reported with votes counted; since then, there have been 19 presidential elections where candidates were elected or re-elected without gaining the majority of the popular votes.

Eligibility And The Age Limit For Elections

Are you interested in becoming the president? Do you know whether you are eligible to become one? The requirement to become the president has been the same since when the first president, George Washington, accepted his presidency. As determined by the Constitution, the president's office is open only to individuals who were born in the United States. Also, the person should have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years and should be 35 years or older.

Getting the presidency is not easy. There is a strict procedure to follow and eligibility requirements. The first president, President George Washington, was reluctant about his presidency. A huge controversy was generated in the 2008 presidential election campaign because President Barack Obama was not a natural-born U.S. citizen. Therefore, he was ineligible to be the president as per the Constitution. After that, several state legislatures considered legislation that required future presidential candidates to show proof of their presidential eligibility before they ran for an election.

The Process Of Elections

In every country, the Election Commission is regarded as the guardian of the election. It issues the model code of conduct for candidates or political parties to conduct the election freely and fairly. Before you understand other things related to the election in the U.S., you need to know how the process of election is done. In the U.S., the president and vice president of the country are not chosen by the citizens; instead, they are selected by electors whom the citizens of the country choose.

You must be wondering how this process of electors comes into existence. It comes from the Constitution. It was considered a compromise between the vote in Congress and the popular electoral vote by the citizens. What does the Electoral College process entail? After the ballot for president was cast, electoral votes went to the statewide tally. Nebraska and Maine assign electors using the proportional method. To win in the presidential election, the candidate or political party needs to have at least 270 electors that are half of the electors.

In several cases, the winner is announced at night after completing the voting process. However, the Electoral College vote occurs in the middle of December and electors meet in person. The Constitution does not need the electors to vote for candidates or political parties chosen by the state's popular vote. But some states require that. The rare electors who vote for other candidates can be disqualified, fined, and even prosecuted.

There are some special situations. For example, the candidate may win the Electoral College but lose all the electoral votes, which was happened in 2016, in 2000, and greatly in the 1800s. If there is no candidate, then the House of Representatives member will choose the country's new president from the top three candidates or political parties. Then, the Senate will select the vice president from the remaining two candidates by voting.

FAQs

Why do we need elections?

It is the mechanism through which people can choose representatives using votes. Voters choose their candidate that represents the government. Elections happen at regular intervals. In a democratic country, the election is held every few years.

Why is it called a poll?

A poll is known as the election or a survey of the people's opinions. It is designed to represent the opinion of the people through voting.

How is an election done?

One of the most commonly-used methods on election day is the first-past-the-post system. The candidate with higher votes will win the election; however, if no one receives the required number of electoral votes, there will be a run-off between those candidates.

What is the importance of an election in a democracy?

In a democracy, the elected people are accountable to the country's people. This way, they improve citizens' welfare and help a country develop. That is why the election is held at fixed intervals.

Who is the head of the Election Commission?

The State's Election Division secretary is the head of the Election Commission, overseeing and administering the election and ballots.

Has anyone ever won all 50 states in an election?

No! No candidate has ever accomplished the victory over 50 states since the admission of the 50th state into the union.

Do elections happen every four years?

Yes, every four years, the president, vice president, and one-third of the Senate are chosen through an election.

What election takes place every two years?

The mid-term election occurs two years after every presidential election. Likewise, congressional elections occur every two years where voters choose every member of the House of Representatives.