Democracy in the United States is one of the oldest in the modern world. The head of state is the president, who is elected by an indirect vote for 4 years and cannot hold this office for more than 2 terms. An amendment to this ban was adopted in 1951.
Presidential candidates are subject to certain requirements: age at least 35 years old, US citizenship by birth, residence in the US for the last 14 years.
The very procedure for the presidential elections in the United States is two-stage. At the first stage, citizens elect an electoral college, which, in fact, decide by voting which candidate will take the highest post of the state. The number of electors from each state corresponds to the number of its representatives in Congress. The larger the state, the more it is represented in Congress and, accordingly, the more electors nominate to the College.
Based on the results of internal party voting, political parties nominate candidates for two positions - president and vice president. Then a list of electors is formed - usually party activists, to whom the law imposes the following requirements: they must not work in the executive branch and cannot fulfill duties related to the distribution of funds. The electors undertake to vote for candidates nominated by the party. Citizens vote on party lists on the first Tuesday in November.
40 days after being elected, the Electoral College elects a president. Electors vote in their state capitals. To win, a candidate must receive 50% + 1 votes. If none of the candidates receives an absolute majority, it is the turn of the House of Representatives of Congress. Congressmen must choose one of the three candidates with the highest number of votes on the principle: "One state, one vote."
If the House of Representatives fails to make a choice, then the Senate votes. Senators choose from the two candidates with the highest number of votes. The winner will be determined by a simple majority. In the entire history of the United States, the House of Representatives has elected only twice a president: in 1800 and 1824.
