US Presidential Election explained (explainity® explainer video)
Summary
TLDRThe video explains the process of the U.S. presidential election, from primaries to the general election. It begins with each party choosing a candidate through state-specific primaries where delegates are awarded based on votes. These delegates later select the candidate at national conventions. In the general election, voters indirectly elect the president through electors, who represent each state. Most states use a 'winner-takes-all' system, making swing states crucial. The Electoral College officially votes for the president, with the result confirmed by Congress in January, followed by the inauguration on January 20th.
Takeaways
- 🗳️ The U.S. presidential election occurs every four years, determining whether a Democrat or Republican will occupy the White House.
- 🔄 The election year begins with the primaries, where each party selects its presidential candidate through voting.
- 📋 Primaries vary by state; some allow all registered voters to participate, while others limit voting to registered party members.
- 🗓️ Super Tuesday is a key date when multiple states hold their primaries simultaneously, making it a pivotal moment in the race.
- 👥 Voters in the primaries are actually electing delegates who will support a candidate at the national convention.
- 🏛️ A candidate needs more than half of the delegates' votes at the national convention to secure their party's nomination.
- 🤝 If no candidate secures a majority of delegate votes, the party renegotiates, and delegates may vote for other candidates.
- 🗳️ The general election takes place in November, but voters do not directly elect the president; they elect electors who then vote for the candidate.
- 🌍 Each state is awarded a different number of electors based on population, with 48 out of 50 states using a winner-take-all system.
- 📅 After the general election, electors formally vote for the president, and the result is confirmed in Congress before inauguration on January 20.
Q & A
How often does the United States hold a presidential election?
-The United States holds a presidential election every four years.
What is the purpose of the primaries in the election process?
-The primaries are used to decide who will be the presidential candidate for each party, the Democrats and the Republicans.
Are all registered voters allowed to vote in the primaries?
-The eligibility to vote in the primaries varies from state to state. Some states allow every registered voter, while others restrict it to voters registered with a particular party.
What is 'Super Tuesday' in the context of the primaries?
-Super Tuesday is a cluster primary date when multiple states hold their primaries simultaneously.
How are delegates chosen in the primaries?
-Delegates are technically elected by the voters and then support a certain candidate in the primary. Each candidate is awarded a certain amount of delegates based on the votes they receive.
What happens at the national convention in relation to the presidential candidates?
-At the national convention, delegates officially vote for their candidates. A candidate must receive over half of the delegate votes to win the party's nomination.
What occurs if no candidate receives a majority of the delegate votes at the convention?
-If no candidate receives a majority, the party renegotiates its entries into the presidential race until a candidate is found.
When is the general election held in the United States?
-The general election is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
How does the electoral vote system work in the United States?
-The electoral vote system involves electors who are awarded to each candidate based on the vote tally. Each state has a different number of electors depending on its population.
What is the 'winner takes all' principle in the electoral vote system?
-In 48 of the 50 states, the 'winner takes all' principle means that the winner of the state's popular vote gets all the electoral votes for that state.
What is the significance of swing states in the election?
-Swing states are states where both parties have an equally high chance of winning. They are significant because the electoral votes from these states can greatly influence the outcome of the election.
How is the president officially elected?
-The president is officially elected by the electoral college, which is the body made up of the awarded electors. They vote in their states, and these votes are counted in Congress.
When does the inauguration of the new president take place?
-The inauguration of the next president takes place on January 20th.
Outlines
🗳️ Overview of the U.S. Presidential Election Process
The U.S. presidential election happens every four years, where voters decide whether a Democrat or Republican will live in the White House. The process starts with primaries, where each party selects its presidential candidate. The rules for primaries vary by state—some allow all registered voters to participate, while others restrict it to those registered with a party. The primary results don't directly elect candidates; instead, delegates are chosen based on the votes. These delegates later vote for the candidate at the national convention, and if no candidate wins a majority, the process continues until one emerges. This primary phase helps determine the two major candidates who will face off in the general election.
📅 General Election and the Role of Electors
The general election occurs on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Voters cast their ballots, but they don't directly elect the president. Instead, the votes determine how many electors each candidate receives. Each state has a specific number of electors, depending on its population, and in 48 out of 50 states, the winner takes all the electors. Swing states, where either party has a strong chance of winning, are crucial in deciding the election. A candidate needs more than half of the 535 total electors to win. After Election Day, the electors officially vote for the president, and Congress counts these votes to finalize the election. The new president is inaugurated on January 20th, officially ending the election year.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Primaries
💡Delegates
💡National Convention
💡General Election
💡Electoral College
💡Electors
💡Swing States
💡Winner-takes-all
💡Super Tuesday
💡Inauguration
Highlights
The U.S. presidential election occurs every four years, determining whether a Democrat or Republican will live in the White House.
The election process begins with the primaries, where each party selects its presidential candidate.
Primary election rules vary by state—some allow all registered voters to participate, while others limit participation to party members.
Super Tuesday is a key event where multiple states hold their primaries on the same day.
Voters in primaries don't elect the presidential candidate directly—they elect delegates who support a candidate.
Delegates are awarded to candidates based on the votes they receive in the primaries.
A candidate needs more than half of the delegate votes to win their party’s nomination at the national convention.
If no candidate gets the majority of delegate votes at the convention, the party renegotiates to find a candidate.
Once each party selects a candidate, the general election is held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
In the general election, voters don't directly elect the president—they vote for electors in the Electoral College.
Each state has a different number of electors, based on its population, and the winner in most states takes all the electors.
In swing states, where both parties have an equal chance of winning, candidates focus heavily on campaigning.
There are 535 electors in total, and a candidate needs more than half of the electoral votes to win the presidency.
The final decision is made by the Electoral College, which officially votes for the president about 41 days after the election.
The next U.S. president is inaugurated on January 20th, formally ending the election process.
Transcripts
[Music]
it's that time again
the united states presidential election
is around the corner
every four years the american people
decide whether a
democrat or a republican gets to live in
the white house for the next four years
but how exactly does the united states
presidential election
work well to understand this we have to
take a closer look at the entire
election year it all starts with
the primaries in which democrats and
republicans
each decide who is going to be their
presidential candidate
how the primaries work and who is
eligible to vote in them
varies from state to state in some
states
every registered voter is allowed to
vote
in others only voters registered with a
particular
party can cast a ballot in that party's
primary
even the dates the primaries are held
are different in each state
although there are some cluster primary
dates
for example super tuesday on super
tuesday
multiple states hold their primary
and it gets even more complicated than
that because the people don't actually
elect the presidential candidate
directly with their vote they are
technically electing
delegates who in turn will support a
certain candidate
in a primary each candidate is awarded a
certain amount of delegates
or representatives based on the amount
of votes they receive
those delegates will later vote for
their assigned candidate
once the delegates from the various
primaries have been awarded
you can already get a good sense of who
will become the presidential candidate
however the delegates don't officially
vote for their candidates
until the national convention in the end
a candidate must receive over half of
the delegate votes to win the party's
nomination
if no candidate receives over half of
the delegate votes at the convention
the party renegotiates its entries into
the presidential race
additionally sometimes candidates will
end their presidential bids
and then the delegates will have to vote
again
in that case the delegates don't
necessarily have to vote for
their candidates again but are now free
to choose whomever they like
this procedure continues until a
presidential candidate has been found
once the two parties have officially
chosen who is going
head-to-head in the presidential race
the actual
general election is held on the tuesday
after the first monday
in november registered voters over 18
get to vote for their president on that
day
however similar to the primaries the
president
is not elected directly here either
the vote tally for each candidate
determines how many
electors are awarded to that candidate
these electors will then elect the
candidate
each state has a different number of
electors depending on how many people
live in that state
but the electors cannot simply vote for
the candidate they wish
in 48 of the 50 states the elector tally
is awarded
winner take all this means the winner of
that state
gets all the votes from that state let's
say a state has
10 electors if at the end of the voting
day
the tally awards six electors to the
democratic candidate
and four to the republican the democrat
has won the election in this state
and gets all 10 votes while the
republican
gets nothing the winner takes all
this is why in so-called swing states
states in which both parties have an
equally high chance of taking the win
candidates are campaigning harder than
in other states
it is hard to predict the electoral
outcome pre-election
in these states there is a total of 535
electors the candidate who can secure
more than half of the electoral vote
has won the election this is why
electors from the swing states
are especially important once the
electors have been awarded
it is basically clear who will be the
next president of the united states
while officially the decision is only
made by the electoral college
which is the body made up of the awarded
electors
this is usually 41 days after election
day
on that day the electors vote in their
states
these votes are then counted in congress
around the beginning
of january and it is in congress too
where the next occupant of the white
house is later
officially announced finally
the inauguration of the next president
takes place on january 20th
to formally end the election year
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