US Presidential Elections Explained
The US President is chosen through a long election process involving state primaries, party conventions, a national campaign and the Electoral College. Winning the most votes nationally does not itself decide the presidency: candidates compete to assemble a majority of electoral votes state by state.
Use these explainers to understand the real institutions and strategies, then apply them in Race for the White House.
How the President is elected
How does the Electoral College work?
Learn how states appoint electors, why 270 votes are needed and how the constitutional process chooses the President.
Why can the popular-vote winner lose?
Understand how electoral vote distribution can produce a winner who received fewer total votes nationwide.
What happens if nobody wins 270 electoral votes?
Explore the contingent election process when no candidate secures an Electoral College majority.
What happens between Election Day and Inauguration?
Follow the constitutional timeline from voting through certification to the transfer of power.
Candidates and campaigns
How are presidential candidates selected?
Understand primaries, caucuses, delegates and the party convention nomination process.
Why do swing states matter?
Learn why battleground states receive disproportionate campaign attention and resources.
How is presidential campaigning financed?
Navigate contribution limits, PACs, Super PACs and the regulatory framework for campaign money.
How do campaigns mobilise voters?
Explore voter registration, turnout operations and the ground game that decides close elections.
How important are presidential debates?
Assess the history, format and actual electoral impact of televised presidential debates.
Evaluation and comparison
Why is US politics dominated by two parties?
Explore Duverger's Law, winner-take-all rules and the structural factors favouring Democrats and Republicans.
How do UK and US election campaigns compare?
Compare candidate selection, electoral systems, finance and executive choice across both democracies.
What do the elections of 2000, 2016 and 2020 reveal?
Analyse three pivotal elections that illuminate how the Electoral College actually works.