DESCRIPTION:

SUMMARY OF THE 2024 US GENERAL ELECTION

The 2024 US General Election will occur on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. It is the 60th quadrennial presidential election, in which voters will decide who becomes the next president of the United States. The election also includes elections for members of Congress, state legislatures, and other local offices. The economy, healthcare, climate change, immigration, and foreign policy lead the issues. This year, Israel's year-long genocide in Gaza, attacks on the West Bank, and its bombing of neighboring state Lebanon, in addition to the continuing war in Ukraine, feature prominently with voters. It is the first time since the Viet Nam conflict of the 1960s and 1970s that foreign policy issues have significantly impacted the election.

CAMPAIGN PLATFORMS

The campaigns focus on contrasting visions for the country and foreign policy. 

Ms. Harris' campaign rallies emphasize focusing on the middle class, including healthcare, elder care and child care, creating opportunities for individuals and businesses, social justice causes, and furthering the transition to green energy while supporting fracking. She also advocates continuing support for Ukraine and, tentatively, a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon without resolution of the underlying issues of occupation and apartheid. 

Mr. Trump, through his campaign rallies, promises to take revenge on his opponents and deregulate or dismantle federal and some global agencies. He openly advocates for the ability to remove federal employees based on fealty and an increase in drilling for fossil fuels. His key policy promotes punitive immigration measures, including mass deportations. He also presses for an end to support for Ukraine and continued support of Israel's military-led territorial expansion.

Expect the first few weeks of November to be an anxious time for many worldwide. States ratify their votes between November 7 and the Certificate of Ascertainment of Appointment of Electors Issued occurs on December 11. 

Next is the Meeting and Vote of Electors in their States on December 17 followed by the final Deadline for Electoral Votes to be Received on Christmas, December 25. January 6, 2025, Congress will certify the Electoral College votes and the President will become official. He or she will take office on January 20, 2025.

Given the shenanigans leading up to the general election (this year has been particularly dirty and brutal) and the attempts to sew doubt as to the outcome, the world most likely will only know whether Ms. Harris or Mr. Trump will be the next president of the United States until several days later. Given the United States' outsized influence globally, approximately 150 million people choose to decide how chaotic the next four years will be. Voting is not mandatory in the United States.

HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

The history of US presidential elections dates back to the late 18th century when the founding fathers established the Constitution in 1787. The Constitution created the framework for the Electoral College, which formally elects the president and vice president every four years—more on the Electoral College below.

WHO CAN VOTE?

Two hundred forty-four million Americans are eligible to vote in 2024. Who can vote in an election is often left up to the states.

In general, to vote in a United States election, a person must be:

—18 years of age on the day of the election.
—A United States citizen, meaning the individual is born on American territory, to American parents, or naturalized.
—Are registered to vote (except in North Dakota)
—Satisfy any restriction in their state (e.g., currently not in jail, not a convicted felon, in possession of a state-issued ID).

According to an October 1, 2024 Gallup poll, Americans fall into the following political parties: 

—Republican: 31%
—Democrat: 28%
—Independent: 41%

Independents include those with no party, Libertarians, Social Democrats and Green Party members, and other special interest groups. Most states prevent independents from voting in presidential and congressional primaries. Primaries are where the candidates are chosen.

A poll by Gallup on October 12, 2024, asked Independents if they lean more Republican or Democrat. The poll found that 49% lean Republican, 42% lean Democrat and 9% are neutral.

KEY MILESTONES:

—First Presidential Election (1788-1789): 

George Washington was unanimously elected as the United States' first president in 1789. Washington, a highly respected military leader from the American Revolution, ran unopposed and was elected by the Electoral College.

—Electoral College System: 

The system was a compromise between those who wanted direct election by citizens and those who wanted Congress to choose the president. Electors from each state, based on the state's population, cast votes for the president. The system allows for indirect election, with electors typically chosen by popular vote.

—Expansion of Voting Rights: 

Initially, only white male landowners could vote in presidential elections. Over time, voting rights expanded with the 15th Amendment (1870) granting voting rights to African American men, the 19th Amendment (1920) granting voting rights to women, and the Voting Rights Act (1965) addressing racial discrimination in voting.

—Modern Presidential Elections: 

The election process has evolved to include primary elections, national conventions, and televised debates. The two-party system (Democratic and Republican) has dominated since the 19th century, shaping the dynamics of presidential elections.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

The Electoral College is the United States's system of electing its president and vice president. It consists of 538 electors from all 50 states and Washington, DC, who are responsible for officially selecting the president based on the popular vote in their respective states. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure at least 270 electoral votes—a simple majority.

Each state is assigned a certain number of electors, equal to the total number of its Congressional delegation: its number of representatives in the House of Representatives plus its two senators. For example, a state with ten representatives and two senators would have 12 electoral votes.

US OVERSEAS TERRITORIES, EXPATRIATES AND THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
In US presidential elections, overseas territories and expatriate Americans face distinct voting circumstances regarding the Electoral College.

—US TERRITORIES

Territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands do not have electoral votes in the presidential election. Only states and Washington, DC, are allocated electoral votes. 
While residents of US territories are US citizens (except American Samoa, whose residents are US nationals), they cannot vote in presidential elections unless registered to vote in one of the 50 states or Washington, DC.

—WASHINGTON DC

Washington, DC, is a district, not a state. The district is home to approximately 750,000 people (about the same population as North Dakota). Upon ratifying the 23rd Amendment in 1961, Washington, DC, received three electoral votes (the equivalency of two senators and one congressman).

EXPATRIATES (US CITIZENS LIVING ABROAD):

—US citizens living abroad can vote in presidential elections by casting absentee ballots in the last state in which they resided before moving abroad, provided they are still eligible to vote in that state.

—These votes are counted in the popular vote for their state, and the state's electors then contribute to the Electoral College totals.

—Absentee voting for expatriates is facilitated through the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), which ensures that US citizens living abroad, including military personnel, can vote in federal elections.

ORIGINS OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE
The Electoral College was established in 1787 during the Constitutional Convention. Its creation was a compromise between several competing ideas for electing the president:

—Direct popular vote: 
Some delegates wanted the president chosen by a popular vote of all citizens.

—Congressional selection: 
Others wanted Congress to elect the president, arguing that the general public might need to be better informed about distant candidates.

To balance these views, the framers of the Constitution created the Electoral College. It allowed for a degree of public participation through state elections but ensured an additional layer of deliberation through electors.

The Founding Fathers also worried about the potential for "mob rule" or the dominance of large, populous states over smaller ones, so the Electoral College emerged to give smaller states a voice.

IMPORTANCE OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

—Balancing Federalism and Representation: 

The Electoral College reflects the federal nature of the US government, balancing power between populous and smaller states. Since electoral votes are partly based on the Senate (where all states have equal representation), smaller states have more proportional influence than they would in a purely popular vote system.

—Focus on Swing States: 

Because most states have predictable voting patterns, candidates often focus their campaigns on "swing states," where the outcome is uncertain. This means a few key states can heavily influence the election. Critics argue this reduces attention to states where one party dominates, but proponents say it ensures attention to smaller or less populous states that might otherwise be ignored.

—Protection Against Direct Democracy: 

The Electoral College operates as a check against direct democracy. The framers of the Constitution were concerned that the public might not always make informed choices, so they created a system to have an intermediary body (the electors) between the people and the final decision.

—Preventing Regional Dominance: 

The system requires candidates to build broad coalitions that span different country regions. A candidate could theoretically win in a purely popular vote system by focusing only on densely populated urban areas, ignoring rural and less populated regions. The Electoral College forces candidates to win various states, ensuring that presidents represent a wide geographical range.

—Historical Precedent: 

Although the system has been criticized, the Electoral College has been used in every US presidential election since the first one in 1789. Efforts to abolish or reform it have so far failed, as changes would require a constitutional amendment, which is politically challenging.

CONTROVERSIES AND CRITICISMS

—"Winner-take-all" System:

Most states use a "winner-take-all" approach, meaning the candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote in a state gets all of its electoral votes, which can lead to situations where a candidate wins the presidency without winning the national popular vote, as happened in the elections of 2000 (George W. Bush vs. Al Gore) and 2016 (Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton).

—Disproportionate Power of Small Population States: 

Smaller states have more electoral power relative to their populations than larger states. Each state has two senators regardless of population, so the vote of a citizen in a smaller state can carry more weight than that of a citizen in a larger state.

—Potential for Faithless Electors: 

In theory, electors could vote against the popular vote in their state, though this is rare, and many states have laws requiring electors to follow the popular vote. These electors are known as "faithless electors," and while they've rarely affected the outcome of an election, their existence introduces some unpredictability.
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The US presidential election system is unique, with its roots in balancing federalism, popular sovereignty, and institutional checks. The outcome affects national governance and has profound global implications due to the US's role in world affairs.

Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, Illinois, the territory of Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.