FAQ's about American politics
Presidential (or General) elections happen once every four years – always on the first Thursday in November. This is different from some other countries, where elections have no fixed date.
NO – although most people do. Presidential elections are a two-horse race – meaning that only the Republican and Democratic candidate have a chance of winning. Not casting your vote for one of these two candidates is usually viewed as a protest vote, which is something to be aware of before going to the polls.
In most state’s, there’s a simple majority system, meaning that a candidate only must receive more votes than the other to win. However, some states choose to employ a more proportional system.
The US doesn’t have a popular vote for the President. Instead, each state decides who they want to elect. If a candidate ‘wins’ a state, they collect votes.
Unfortunately, the system gets a bit more complicated from there. Each state is worth a different number of votes which depends on the size of their population. There are 538 votes to be won in total – and a candidate must receive 270 or more votes to be elected.
A group of people, representing each state, cast the votes for the State.
This is relatively rare – but on the occasions that it does occur the electors in question will be called ‘faithless’ and could be fined or prosecuted.
It’s unlikely that this will affect the final result of the election.
In the US, most state’s consistently vote either Republican or Democrat – so it’s rare to find a state that changes who it votes for. A Presidential candidate will target any state that might ‘swing’ to the other candidate – as it could change the result of the entire election.
Unlike the Presidential elections, which are held every four years, elections to the Senate are held every two years – with a third of the hundred seats up for grabs. This means that you only have to cast your vote for your state Senator’s once every six years.
Every State has two Senator’s.
Yes – there are currently two independent Senator’s. In some state’s there are popular alternatives to the two main parties, so if you’re not a fan of the Democratic or Republican candidates, it’s worth checking if there is a viable alternative.
Congress is elected every two years, which means that the people who are elected serve shorter terms.
This differs from state to state dependent on the population. Some states have a single Congressman, and some have over 50! You can check how many Congressmen your State has by using our handy guide.
Midterms are elections that occur in the middle of a Presidential term (two years in). During a Midterm, one third of the Senate will be up for election, alongside the entirety of the House.
You need to visit vote.gov and select your state to get further instructions. You might be able to register online, or you might have to register by mail or in person. You can also visit the National Mail Voter Registration form.
In some states you can pre-register to vote before you turn 18 – this is worth checking out if your 18th birthday falls around election day!
If you vote in person on election day you might be asked to fill in a physical ballot card or vote on a voting machine.
You can also vote by mail – but you need to register this before polling day.
You might be able to request an absentee vote, however, be warned that some state’s require a valid excuse for not being able to physically turn up to the ballot box on the day of the election.
Some places will use optical scanners, whereas others might use ballot marking devices or touch screen systems.
Very reliable. It’s extremely unlikely that voter fraud will occur, and if there’s any suspicion that there’s been a miscount a recount will take place.
Voting in person can take under 10 minutes – but can also take a while at busy times of day. Make sure that you stay in the queue, even after 8PM, as you still have the right to vote.
First time voters in a state must bring ID. Some state’s require all voters to bring ID to vote, so check before you show up at the polls.
No. Voting is not a legal requirement. However, voting is an important way of influencing what goes on in your state and country. You Political’s role is to encourage you to exercise your right to vote. If you don’t want to vote for either the Republican or Democratic candidate, you can always cast a protest vote for a third party candidate or write in the name of someone you would want to be in power.
Remember – not voting can be a choice too!