US Election 2024: 10 things to know before world’s greatest economy goes to vote

Election process

The U.S. Constitution sets specific requirements for a presidential candidate:

Natural-born Citizen: The candidate must be a natural-born citizen of the United States. This includes individuals born within the U.S., children of U.S. citizens born abroad, and those born abroad to at least one citizen parent.

Residency: The candidate must have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.

Age: The candidate must be at least 35 years old.

These criteria ensure that presidential candidates have a significant connection to the country and meet certain age and citizenship standards.

During the presidential election cycle, candidates from the two main political parties—the Democrats and the Republicans—embark on their campaign trails. They assemble their teams and begin touring the country to rally support and fundraise for their campaigns.

Also Read: US Election 2024: Here’s why nation votes in November but swears in new president in January

Each party holds a national convention to select their presidential nominee officially. When Americans head to the polls in November, they vote for both a President and a Vice President. 

The Electoral College is the system by which electors, selected based on each state’s population and representation in Congress, cast their votes to determine the President.

There are a total of 538 electors, and to win the presidency, a candidate must receive more than half of the electoral votes—at least 270. After the general election, each elector casts one vote, and the candidate with the majority of these votes is declared the winner.