Presidential Election Process

Question 1

A presidential election takes place every _____.

Answer 1

four years

Question 2

Is the president chosen by direct popular vote?

Answer 2

no, but by indirect popular election

Question 3

What is the role of delegates during the national party convention?

Answer 3

to vote for presidential candidates

(Although voters in primary elections may seem like they are voting for a particular candidate, they are actually voting for a delegate to the party convention who loosely promises to support that candidate.)

Question 4

What is a party platform?

Answer 4

also known as a manifesto, it is a political party’s formal declaration of general objectives and stance on controversial topics

Question 5

What is the difference between a caucus and a primary election?

Answer 5

In a caucus, party leaders debate issues, discuss the party platform, and choose delegates for the national convention.

In primary elections, voters simply go to the poll to choose potential delegates.

Question 6

How is the number of delegates determined for each state?

Answer 6

based on population

Question 7

How many delegate votes does a candidate need to be chosen as the party nominee?

Answer 7

a majority vote

Question 8

What is announced at the national party convention?

Answer 8

the presidential and vice presidential nominees

Question 9

Do citizens directly choose a presidential candidate?

Answer 9

no, they choose their state’s electors, which in turn determines the presidency

Question 10

Across all states, does one standard procedure exist to select electors?

Answer 10

No; in some states, different political parties will nominate electors at state party conventions.

In others, a party’s central committee will vote for electors.

Question 11

Can senators or house representatives be appointed electors?

Answer 11

no

Question 12

Can an elector be a high-ranking U.S. official?

Answer 12

no

Question 13

On what basis are electors selected?

Answer 13

• to reward a loyal party member’s years of service
• can be state-elected officials, party leaders, activists, or people directly affiliated with the presidential candidate

Question 14

During the general election, do the names of electors appear on the ballot?

Answer 14

varies depending on individual state procedures

Question 15

In what month do citizens vote for President?

Answer 15

November

(every 4 years, on the Tuesday between Nov. 2-8, coinciding with elections of various other federal, state, and local offices)

Question 16

Between all 50 states, there is a total of ___ electors.

Answer 16

538

Question 17

How is the number of electors determined for each state?

Answer 17

number of a state’s House representatives + number of a state’s Senators

Question 18

In order to be an elector, does one need to hold U.S. office?

Answer 18

no

Question 19

Why may the bigger, more populous states be especially important during elections?

Answer 19

more populous states have more electors, more electoral votes, and thus greater impact in determining the president

Question 20

When a candidate wins a majority of votes within a state, what proportion of the state’s electors does he/she gain?

Answer 20

all of the state’s electors

This is true for all states except Maine and Nebraska that use the Congressional District Method. This gives one state electoral vote to each district that the state is divided into.

Question 21

Is an elector obligated to vote according to his state’s popular vote?

Answer 21

no, this is not required by federal law or the Constitution

Question 22

Define:

a “faithless” elector.

Answer 22

an elector who casts a vote that disregards the popular vote or his political party (this is very rare)

Question 23

What are the potential consequences for an elector who does not vote according to popular vote?

Answer 23

he/she will probably not be re-selected as an elector

Question 24

How many electors are needed to win on Election Day?

Answer 24

the majority, so at least 270

Question 25

What happens if no candidate wins a decisive 270-elector majority?

Answer 25

the House of Representatives determines the president

Question 26

On what date is the president inaugurated?

Answer 26

January 20