US presidential election 2024

How the Electoral College works

ANALYSIS | THE INDEPENDENT | On Nov. 05 Americans are heading to the polls to elect their next president. Many Ugandans, like many other non-Americans across the globe, have always taken keen interest in the American presidential elections.

The election, which happens every four years, often involves voting for members of Congress. The Congress is bicameral; consisting of the House of Representatives with 435 seats and the Senate with 100 senators.

On Election Day, voters cast their vote for their preferred candidate for president and vice president. Americans, however, elect their President and Vice President indirectly. This is because both are chosen by electors in an Electoral College.

Since the U.S. presidential election is an indirect election, it’s possible to win the largest share of the vote nationwide (the popular vote), but not win a majority of electors in the Electoral College.

In U.S. history, this has happened five times, including twice in the 21st century: in 2000, Democrat Al Gore received 543,895 more votes than Republican George W. Bush and in 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton received 2.86 million more votes than Republican Donald Trump.

Number of electors

The Electoral College comprises 538 electors (435 House of Representatives seats + 100 Senate seats + 3 for Washington D.C.). States are allocated electors based on the number of seats they have in the House of Representatives and Senate. Washington D.C. gets three electors but other US territories don’t get any. America uses a system of proportional representation meaning the number from representatives from each state is in proportion to that state’s population.

States have the same number of electors as their number of members in the Congress. The number of electors is therefore proportional to the population of each state, with a minimum of three electors. This method of calculation leads to a slight over-representation of sparsely populated states, such as Alaska, Wyoming and Vermont, which have three electors for 733,536, 586,485 and 647,818 inhabitants, respectively. This means they have more than four electors per million inhabitants In contrast, the majority of states have an average of one or two electors per million inhabitants.

Following a population census, the distribution of electors has changed slightly for 2024: California has lost one, as have Montana, North Carolina and New York, while Texas has gained two. Additionally, Florida and Colorado gained one vote.

After ballots have been cast, all votes go to a statewide tally. A candidate has to “win” at least 270 electors in order to become President. Voting at the Electoral College or the “second election” will take place on Dec.17. The winner is announced on the night of the election.

Washington D.C. and 48 states use the winner-takes-all procedure where the election winner receives all the electors in that state. Maine and Nebraska are the exceptions because they have a proportional system.

Who can be an elector?

Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution states that the president and vice president are chosen by electors “in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct,” but without advising or listing any manner. However, the article does specify that “no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.” In practice, electors are often figures who have rendered a service to the party or candidate: party members, lobbyists, local officials or even retired political staff. Bill Clinton, in 2016, served as an elector for his wife, Hillary Clinton.

Basically, before the actual election, each party nominates potential electors in every state. The political balance in most states virtually guarantees victory for one side or the other (California, Colorado and New York have historically voted for the Democrats, while Alaska, Idaho and Alabama have gone for the Republicans). Candidates visit these states less often, since victory is either a foregone conclusion or almost impossible.

Is an elector obliged to respect the vote of their state?

Thirty-three states as well as the District of Columbia have laws requiring electors to follow the popular vote in order to avoid a “faithless elector” situation. These laws may impose penalties such as a $500 fine and cancellation of the vote in states like North Carolina, or the appointment of a substitute elector in states like Montana, Nevada and Washington.

Given that electors are designated by the parties or by the candidates, instances of electors not voting as expected are uncommon, but there have been a few cases. For example, in the 2000 election, Democratic elector Barbara Lett-Simmons abstained from voting rather than casting her vote for Al Gore. This incident did not affect the election outcome, as Republican George W. Bush won with 271 votes out of 538.

Who are the candidates?

The two main parties nominate a presidential candidate by holding a series of votes called state primaries and caucuses, where people choose who they want to lead the party in a general election.

In the Republican Party, former president Donald Trump won his party’s support with a massive lead over his rivals. He became the official Republican nominee at a party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Trump chose Ohio senator JD Vance to be his vice-presidential running mate.

For the Democrats, Vice-President Kamala Harris joined the race after President Joe Biden dropped out and no other Democrats stood against her. Her running mate is Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

There are also some independent candidates running for president. These are:

• Cornel West (Age: 71 | Independent) is an academic and activist and his running mate, Melina Abdullah. He wants a permanent ceasefire in the Middle East region, a halt to military aid to Ukraine, and the establishment of universal healthcare.

• Jill Stein (Age: 74 | Green Party) is heavily focused on environmental issues, calling for more aggressive climate policies than the mainstream Democrats propose. Her advocacy includes eliminating US support for Israel, providing free public education, and cancelling medical debts.

• Chase Oliver (Age: 39 | Libertarian Party) is a former activist and restaurant worker. Wants to simplify immigration processes and withdraw the US from foreign conflicts. His campaign champions drug decriminalisation and the elimination of the Federal Reserve.

• Claudia De la Cruz (Age: 42 | PSL) is running under the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL). Her key policies include reparations for Black Americans and single-payer healthcare for all. She also supports cutting the US military budget by 90 per cent and seizing the 100 largest corporations to promote economic democracy. She also recognises Native American sovereignty.

• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Age: 70 | Independent) suspended his campaign in August 2024 and endorsed Trump but the US Supreme Court rejected a plea seeking the removal of his name from the ballot kin some states.