Election Day, November 8, 2024
Americans were choosing a new President and Vice President. They were also selecting members of Congress, who pass laws. Traditionally, the size of a presidential winner’s popular and electoral vote margins predicts whether his or her plans for policy and politics will be adopted by Congress and other branches of government.
Most US citizens who are 18 or older can vote in a presidential election. Most voters choose a presidential candidate from the political party of their choice. The parties conduct a series of state primary elections and caucuses in the year leading up to the election where voters express their preferences. The delegates selected in the primaries and caucuses then attend a party’s national convention to choose a final presidential nominee.
In the end, Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris, who had become the front-runner in early August after winning a virtual vote of party delegates. Harris was able to win the requisite number of electoral votes (270) in order to be named the Democratic nominee.
The Electoral College consists of 538 electoral votes, with each state receiving two electoral votes for its senators and one electoral vote for each of its representatives. Each state’s electoral votes are based on its population, with larger states receiving more electoral votes than smaller states. Currently, a majority of the electoral votes is required to win the presidency. Regardless of the Electoral College outcome, the president-elect must still be confirmed by the United States Senate.
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