Every four years, Americans go to the polls to select their president and vice president. Voters choose their favorite candidate based on the party they belong to and on their ideas and plans for society.
Before election day, presidential candidates spend several months campaigning in order to win support from voters and explain their plans. They take part in debates, rallies, and other events to help voters decide who they should vote for. Generally, only the Democratic and Republican candidates make it to the final ballot. There are occasionally candidates from smaller political parties, but they don’t have much of an impact on the outcome.
The presidential debates are arranged by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). CPD members carefully consider the dates of early voting, religious and federal holidays, other milestone events, and television pool contractual conflicts, such as Major League Baseball, when choosing the debate dates. The CPD also selects the moderators of each debate. They must be familiar with the candidates and issues, have extensive experience in live broadcast news, and understand that debates should focus on the candidates’ positions and views.
In the United States, the winner of each state’s electoral votes is determined by the number of votes cast for each candidate. The winner with the most electoral votes becomes the president. If no one receives a majority of electoral votes, the U.S. House of Representatives makes the selection from among the top three contenders for the presidency and the winner is sworn into office at noon on January 20 (unless it’s a Sunday, then January 21). This is an example of why people need to vote even if they believe their choice won’t have much effect on the outcome.