2024 US Presidential Election
Sammit Acharjee
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The Election
The 2024 U.S. presidential election, which took place on November 5th, was a pivotal moment for the nation’s future. The election put the Democratic and Republican parties against each other, with third-party candidates also in the mix. However, their historical impact has been minimal since the 1960s.
Image Source: CNN
Who ran for President?
Images: Library of Congress
Kamala Harris, the current vice president, was the Democratic Party's nominee. Harris is also the first South Asian candidate from a major U.S political party. Tim Walz, the current governor of Minnesota, is Harris' running mate.
Left to right: Vice President Harris, Governor Walz
Images: Library of Congress
On the Republican side, former President Donald Trump was the nominee and winner. His running mate, JD Vance, is a US Senator from Ohio.
Left to right: President-Elect Trump, Vice-President Elect Vance
Who can vote?
In every American election, the people who can vote are American citizens. In addition, the people who can run for president must be 35 years old, natural born US citizens (must be born on American soil) and have lived in the US for 14 years.
How can you vote?
There are three main ways to vote for president. These are early voting, voting by mail, and voting in person on election day. Voting by mail is generally for people who will not be present during the election or for members of the military.
How do elections work?
Since 1968, there have generally been only two major parties in an election. Each party declares their presidential candidate at their party’s national convention. For the Democrats, the selection happens in August, and for the Republicans, the selection is in July. After the selections, there are generally presidential and vice presidential debates in September and October. In these months, candidates also spend money campaigning around the nation. Once November arrives, the real election starts. Voters in every state cast their ballots. Once the ballots are cast, the electoral college comes into play.
What is the electoral college?
The electoral college has been present in elections since our nation’s founding. Once voters cast their ballots, they are counted. Once the counting is done, states are “won” when one party has the majority of the votes. The winning party needs to receive 270 votes. Maine and Nebraska are not winner-take all states however, as they are each split up into 2 districts.
This Election
This Election
This election, Former President Trump won the electoral college 312 with Vice President Harris getting 226 votes.
Image: 270toWin
Key issues in this election were the economy, healthcare, immigration, and climate change. With different visions for the country’s future, both candidates drove high voter turnout; the second highest in the nation's history (2020 had 6 million more). November 5th was a day of intense national focus, closely watched like all other elections.
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