The 2020 U.S. presidential election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3. The main candidate from the Republican Party is the incumbent President Donald Trump, from the Democratic Party - the former Vice President and Senator Joe Biden.
Requirements for candidates
According to the Second Article of the US Constitution, a US presidential candidate must be a US citizen by birth, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the country for at least 15 years. Typically, candidates are nominated by one of the political parties during the primaries.
Both candidates are over 70. Trump, if he wins, could break Ronald Reagan's record for the age in power: by the beginning of his second term, he will be 74 years old. If Biden is elected president, from the first day of his presidency, he will become the oldest president (in the first term) in US history - at the time of his inauguration he will be 78 years old.
Who participates in the elections
Unlike the political systems of many countries, the United States is dominated by only two parties - the Republican and the Democratic, and the president-elect always represents one of them.
The Republican Party (Grand Old Party, GOP) is a conservative party that in recent years has advocated tax cuts, the right to bear arms, and tougher restrictions on immigration. Her 2020 candidate is incumbent President Donald Trump. Previously, Republican presidents were, in particular, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon.
The Democratic Party is a liberal one that takes socially liberal and progressive positions on civil rights, immigration, climate change.
Democrats support an increase in social spending, tax hikes, etc. Their nominee is Joe Biden, who was vice president during Barack Obama's presidency. Former Democratic presidents include John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama.
While the Democratic Party is mainly supported in urban areas of the United States, the Republicans have a strong position in the American province.
How the winner is chosen
A presidential election in the United States is not always won by the candidate with the most votes at the national level. Thus, the votes of the electoral college, which each state represents, are decisive. There are 538 seats in the college, so the winner is the candidate who receives 270 or more electoral votes.
In 2016, Hillary Clinton won nearly 3 million votes more than Trump, winning the majority of votes in states such as New York and California. However, her rival Trump won the electoral college by 304 votes to 227 as he won elections in several key states. In fact, this means that voting does not take place at the national level, but at the state level.
Who can vote in the US presidential election
US citizens over 18 years of age are eligible to vote. In many states, voters are required to present an identity document before voting.
In addition, in some states, prisoners lose their right to vote when the court finds them guilty, but after serving their sentence they regain this right.
In the United States, to vote, you don't have to go to the polls, but use a mailing ballot. However, in many states it is necessary to indicate the reason why a person cannot personally vote on election day.
Congressional elections
When electing a president, US citizens will also elect new members to Congress, a legislature made up of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. In 2020, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 seats in the Senate are up for election.
At the moment, Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives, and if they manage to get a majority in both houses, they can block or postpone almost any decision of Trump if he is re-elected for a second term.
When the results of the US presidential election are known
The counting of votes may take several days, but, as a rule, the preliminary result is known as early as the next morning. Results may have to wait longer in 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic is expected to increase the number of mailed bulletins.
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