Fifty states and Washington, D.C., are holding elections under different administrative and logistical procedures (Reuters)

Washington — Monday will witness the start of the electoral activities for the US presidential race, which begins on January 15 with primaries in Iowa, and ends on the fifth of next November, the date of the presidential elections.

The presidential race for the White House extends over 294 days and begins with primary elections within the Republican and Democratic parties, followed by national conventions for both to present the official candidate for the presidency, followed by 3 presidential debates, in addition to one debate between the candidates for the position of vice president, until the day of the general election.

The new president is sworn in on January 20, 2024, and after the ceremony in Congress, he heads to the White House (European)

What are primaries?

It is a bipartisan election in all fifty U.S. states and Washington, D.C., as well as the five U.S. territories.

This is done in several stages, starting this year in Iowa on January 15, and ending on the fourth of next June in the states of New Jersey and New Mexico for Republicans, and the eighth of June for Democrats.

The primaries see each party's candidates compete for the party's ticket to compete in the country's nationwide presidential election.

If a candidate wins the primary, he or she wins the votes of all or a percentage of the state delegates, according to each state's election rules. These delegates vote for the winning candidate at the party's national convention.

Does the U.S. Constitution provide for primaries?

The constitution does not address the subject of primaries, which are conducted on the basis of party rules and arrangements and in accordance with the laws of each state.

State governments conduct those primaries in the same way as presidential elections.

State laws decide whether the election will be held closed, meaning only those registered with the party will vote, or open, meaning non-party members can also vote. The state decides whether elections are to be held by ballot or caucus.

Are there Democratic primaries?

Already, the vast majority of states are witnessing bipartisan primaries. Despite the broad focus on the Republican election, there will be a symbolic election that is not important for the Democratic Party.

Some states may cancel Democratic primaries due to lack of competition and expense savings from the point of view of their legislature, governor and secretary of state.

Three obscure candidates who have no chance of defeating current US President Joe Biden are vying for the Democratic ticket: Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips, writer Marianne Williamson, and environmental activist Robert Kennedy.

Four Republican candidates are vying for the Republican ticket, led by former President Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron Decentis, former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, and media man Vivek Ramswami.

Biden (right) and Trump are expected to face off again in the upcoming presidential election (AP)

What is the difference between voting and mass rallies of voters?

Most U.S. states adopt the traditional method of voting in their primaries, through ballots with the names of candidates, and the voter chooses one of them, and the votes are counted and the one who wins the largest number wins.

Some states, such as Iowa and Arizona, adopt mass rallies, in which voters gather in party groups in schools, sports and social clubs and public libraries to debate and agree on the identity of a candidate.

Delegates vote for the winning candidate, and the party tries to show unity, stand behind the winning candidate, and overcome the conflicts and divisions of the primary election phase.

Do delegates abide by the results of their state elections?

Yes, elected delegates are obliged to vote according to the results of the elections in the states they represent.

If no candidate receives a sufficient number of delegates in the first round of voting, the caucus is considered a "disputed congress" only then, according to the new amendment to the law governing the party, the senior delegates are entitled to vote in the second ballot, and the elected delegates are free from the obligation to vote according to the results of their states' voting.

Who are the senior delegates?

An elite party class that includes all Democratic members of Congress and former Party leaders in the House and Senate, as well as Democratic governors, party high-ranking officials, members of the party's National Committee, and state party leaders.

The Democratic Party has created this category and granted it the right to participate in the selection of the party's presidential candidate since 1982, and the number of senior delegates is constantly changing, estimated at 746 this year. They shall participate in the voting only if the first round of voting ends without a winner.

What majority is required for a candidate to win in the event of a disputed congress?

If the Democratic convention becomes "disputed," the total number of elected delegates becomes 3945,746, including 1973 senior delegates. Therefore, to win the party's nomination in the second vote at the caucus, a candidate must obtain <>,<> delegates to win the party's nomination.

On the Republican side, there are 2429,1215 delegates, and the winning candidate needs to get <>,<> delegates.

Former presidential debate between candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump (Getty Images)

What happens after knowing the presidential candidate from each party?

The party's general convention is being arranged, and Republicans will begin their general convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from July 15 to 18.

Democrats will hold their caucus in Chicago, Illinois, from August 19 to 22. At the end of the congress, the party's presidential candidate is presented.

When are presidential debates held?

After that, the race will move to an important stage, which is the presidential debates, and it has been agreed to hold 3 of them, and one debate will be held between the candidates for the position of vice president. The venue and timing of these debates have yet to be determined.

How is the winner of the presidential election determined?

A candidate who receives a majority of the Electoral College votes (the state has a number equal to the number of its representatives in the House of Representatives and the Senate) becomes President of the United States, and if any candidate obtains 270 or more votes, he is considered the winner, regardless of obtaining a majority of the votes.

And what is the Electoral College?

Although U.S. elections are in which the president is elected directly from the citizens' ballot, the Constitution designed an election system in which the president is named from a group of delegates known as an entity called the Electoral College.

In theory, state delegates choose the candidate who won the majority of votes, and winning the White House requires 270 votes out of a total of 538 votes.

California is the largest state in terms of delegates with 55 delegates, followed by Texas with 38, and the smallest 8 states with 3 delegates each, such as Wyoming and Alaska.

Can a candidate win a majority of the vote and lose the election?

Yes, and it has happened many times in recent decades, and candidate Hillary Clinton has been the latest victim of this system.

Although Trump won the presidency and achieved victory according to the Electoral College system, the losing candidate, Clinton, outperformed him in the number of American voters by nearly 2.9 million votes.

Trump was voted by 62,824,984 people, or 46.09%, compared to 65,863,516 for Clinton, or 48.18%.

Will the president move to the White House to begin his duties immediately after the election?

The new president, or a second president, is sworn in on January 20 in a grand ceremony, set by Article 20 of the U.S. Constitution, which it ratified in 1933.

Following the ceremony in Congress, the president heads to the White House in a procession to begin his 4-year term.

Source : Al Jazeera