1. What is the process to getting elected President?
Electoral Process
What is the process to getting elected President?

2. Vocabulary
political convention: meetings that political parties hold to select candidates and create the party’s platform
delegate: someone who represents the views of a certain state at a national convention
nominee: the person chosen to run as a party’s candidate in a national election
campaign: all the efforts a candidate makes to win an election

3. So you want to be President...
First step a candidate makes is to publicly declare that he or she wants to run for President.
Candidates need to get support for their campaign, raise money, and gain the attention of the leaders of their political party.
The large political parties then choose their party’s nominee at conventions.

4. Political Conventions
Conventions are held at local, state, and national levels.
States send delegates to national conventions to represent the views of the party members in that state and to vote for their preferred candidate.
There are two ways in which states decide on the preferred candidate that they will support at the national convention: the caucus and the primary election.

5. Political Conventions (continued)
caucus: Meetings where party members select candidates through discussions and finding consensus (less common).
primary election: Elections where party members vote for the candidate they want to represent their party.
At the national convention, delegates discuss and debate candidates, listen to speeches, and create the party’s platform.
Near the end of the convention, delegates vote for their party’s nominee in the national election.

6. On the Campaign Trail
Parties then support the campaign of their nominee by providing funding and organizing support.
There are a variety of ways to campaign:
Direct mail: sending info directly to voters
Personal appearances: radio/TV interviews, speeches, debates
Printed material: Posters, bumper stickers, hats
Internet: s, websites, social networking

7. Election Day
Presidential elections are held the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
As polls close from state to state, the news media reports which candidate has won the most votes in each state.
Many times, the media will announce a winner; however, the Constitution requires an extra step before the result is made official.

8. The Electoral College
Each state has a group of people called electors who cast the actual votes for president.
When you vote, you are actually just deciding which candidate you want the electors from your state to vote for.
Electors meet at their state capitals to vote on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.
If a candidate wins more than half the electoral votes, he or she has won the Presidential election.