A presidential race is an election that decides the President of the United States. It is held every four years.
The president is elected by the electoral college, a group of 538 people selected according to each state’s policy. The winner is the candidate who receives a majority of the electoral votes. Each state is awarded a certain number of votes, partly based on population. There are a few states that lean towards one party, but the two candidates compete to win contests in those states known as swing states. Neither Harris nor Trump won these states, but they did well enough that polls showed them neck and neck nationally.
In the general election, voters also select members of Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate. These two chambers pass laws, and can act as a check on the White House.
People with similar ideas often belong to the same political party. The parties hold a series of voting events called primaries and caucuses to select delegates who will “endorse” their favorite candidates at the national conventions. At the conventions, the final presidential nominees for each party are announced. The winners will then choose a running mate.
By June 2024, more than a dozen Republicans had announced their candidacy for the presidency. Some of them included Nikki Haley, who had served as a U.S. ambassador and governor under Trump; Ron DeSantis, who had been the governor of Florida; and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
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