How We Elect Presidents

How We Elect Presidents: A Kid-Friendly Guide

Introduction

Every four years, people in the United States elect a new president. This process is called a presidential election, and it’s a big event! But how exactly do we elect a president? Let’s find out!

Step 1: Choosing Candidates

Before an election, different people from political parties decide they want to run for president. The two main political parties in the U.S. are the Democrats and the Republicans. Each party has many candidates at first, but through a series of primary elections and caucuses, (think of these as smaller elections) they choose one person to represent them in the final election.

Step 2: Campaigning

Once the parties have chosen their candidates, the fun really begins! The candidates travel all over the country to talk to people about their ideas and plans. This is called campaigning. They give speeches, participate in debates, and create advertisements to tell people why they should vote for them. Some campaign events happen in large stadiums and others happen in small diners, schools and businesses. But for each campaign event, the goal is the same: get people to like you and want to vote for you.

Campaigning is when a candidate shares their ideas with voters

Step 3: The General Election

The general election is held on the first Tuesday in November. On this day, people across the country go to their local polling places to vote. You probably don't have to go to school this day! Each person can vote for one candidate.

Step 4: Who Can Vote?

In the United States, you must be at least 18 years old to vote in the presidential election. You also need to be a U.S. citizen and meet your state's residency requirements. This means you need to live in the state where you want to vote. Many states also require you to register to vote before Election Day.

Step 5: The Electoral College

The U.S. uses a special system called the Electoral College to choose the president. Here’s how it works:

• Each state has a certain number of electors, which is based on the number of people who live there.

• When people in a state vote, they are actually choosing which candidate their state’s electors should support.

• The candidate who gets the most votes in a state usually gets all of that state’s electoral votes.

• There are a total of 538 electors, and a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

Step 6: Inauguration Day

Once all the votes are counted and a winner is declared, there’s a big celebration! The new president takes office on January 20th of the following year. This day is called Inauguration Day. The president takes an oath to faithfully execute the office and to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Fun Facts

• The first president of the United States was George Washington.

• The youngest person to become president was Theodore Roosevelt, who was 42 years old.

• The only president to serve more than two terms was Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served four terms.

Conclusion

Electing a president is an exciting and important process. It allows people to have a say in who leads the country. Maybe one day, you’ll be able to vote in a presidential election or even run for president yourself!