The 59th presidential election in the USA will take place on November 3, 2020: Donald Trump versus Joe Biden. The complex US elections often cause confusion among non-Americans. What are the most important things about the US election?
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The US Electoral System
The US electoral system appears complicated but one can understand when the basic principles are laid out. Here are the basics outlined below
Eligibility to vote: Americans 18 years of age and older who reside in a US state may vote. Residents of American suburbs such as Puerto Rico are excluded.
Eleven states prohibit ex-prisoners from voting. No state except Maine and Vermont recognizes the right to vote for current inmates.
In addition, many states require a registration for voting, which – depending on the state – is differently complicated. As a result, it is difficult for parts of the population to vote. General participation is roughly 50 percent.
If US citizens living overseas, they can request election papers for the state in which they last lived. However, this process takes several weeks.
Candidacy: Presidential candidates must be at least 35 years old and have been resident in the United States for 14 years without a break. Of course, they are also required to be US citizens.
In addition, the American president can only be re-elected once. Trump cannot run again in 2024 if he wins this year.
Super Tuesday: On March 3, 2020, many large states held their primary elections. The result is trend-setting . The winner has a great chance of winning the nomination convention and a presidential nomination.
Nomination Congress: At the Nomination Congress in the summer, the Democrats and Republicans nominated the candidate with the most delegates as their official presidential candidate.
Indirect election: on election day, citizens do not vote directly. You designate an “Electoral College” made up of 538 voters who vote. This year election day will take place on November 3rd.
Each state sends a number of voters that depends on the population of the state. California sends 55, Idaho only 4.
In 48 of 50 states, the decision for whom the electorate will vote is made according to the all-or-nothing principle: if more than half of the electorate in a state vote for a candidate, the latter receives all of that state’s votes – the winner takes it all.
This also means that the candidate who collectively collects the most votes does not necessarily become president – this was last the case in 2016.
SwingStates: SwingStates state in which the presidential candidates have a similarly high chance of winning. As a result, they are particularly fierce. The counterpart is Texas, for example, where the Republicans traditionally dominate.
Absolute majority: the Monday after the second Wednesday in December, the electorate cast their vote for a presidential candidate If a candidate receives 270 of the 538 voters, he wins the race for the presidency.
In the following days, a check will be carried out to ensure that all votes are valid and that the election has therefore been lawful.
Stalemate situation: If no candidate achieves an absolute majority, the 12th Amendment of the Constitution applies:
The House of Representatives elects the President from among the three candidates with the most electoral votes.
Inauguration: On January 20, the elected president will be officially sworn into his or her office. The lengthy selection process is over.
US elections 2020: The candidates Biden and Trump
The nomination party congresses have determined the final candidates from both camps: While the Republicans are running the incumbent President Donald Trump, whose candidacy has never been jeopardized, the Democrats have chosen Joe Biden.
Biden, born in 1942 (Vice President from 2009 to 2017) has already participated in primary elections twice – each time without success.
The fame he has gained from this plays into his cards. As the fifth youngest senator in US history and a former vice president, he also has qualifications that demonstrate his ability to govern.
However, in the course of the election campaign, his critics repeatedly emphasize his involvement in politically explosive events. For example, Trump has accused Biden of having played a crucial role in the Ukraine affair.
Donald Trump facts and curiosities: net worth, family, Twitter and hair and information on the personal lives of First Lady Melania Trump and daughters Ivanka and Tiffany.
The TV duels between the candidates were September 29, October 15 and October 22
You can find out everything you need to know about the 2020 US election in the news ticker from FOCUS Online.