2. The US Constitution includes some general provisions on the franchise. It sets forth certain requirements for candidates running for a post of a president, vice- president, senator or member of the House of Representatives. Requirements usually concern age, residence and citizenship.

3. The President and Vice-President are elected every four years. They must be at least 35 years of age, they must be native-born citizens of the United States, and they must have been residents of the U.S. for at least 14 years. (Also, a person cannot be elected to a third term as President.)

4. A residence qualification requires a permanent residence of an individual in order to get the right to vote. Besides, some states have the so-called literacy qualification (the voter should be able to read and speak English, he/she must know how to interpret the US Constitution).

5. It should be mentioned that in some states a poll tax is levied upon everyone who votes and this certainly discourages poor citizens and Afro- Americans from voting. In this context, it is not surprising that not all the Americans participate in elections, including congressional or presidential elections.