US Presidential Elections Explained
Every four years, in early November, most of the United States participates in as well as holds presidential general elections. The President and Vice-President are up for election (or re-election), and so these general elections tend to be dominated by the “presidential election season,” though other offices are also being voted on. In the even years when the President is not up for election (or re-election), US voters are asked to focus on other offices up for a vote. Because those non-presidential election seasons fall in the midway point of a President’s four-year term, they are often called “midterm elections.”
As an American voter, depending on where you reside, you are often called upon to focus on five kinds of positions up for a vote during the Midterms: (1) a President and Vice-President of the United States; (2) a Senate position in the US Congress at the federal level; (3) a House of Representatives position in the US Congress at the federal level; (4) any number and range of elected positions at the State, County and City level; and (5) any number and range of policy or legislative issues (sometimes called “propositions” or “referendums”) at the State, County and City level.
Education
[kleo_gap size=”25px”]Four levels of offices and issues for American voters
[kleo_gap size=”20px”][kleo_button title=”Find Your Information →” href=”https://publiks.app/ourpubliks-us-election-information-centers/” target=”_blank” style=”custom” size=”lg” type=”boxed-icon” special=”no” border=”no” icon=”0″ font_size=”14px” font_weight=”700″ uppercase=”yes” box_shadow_color=”rgba(43,33,47,0.15)” box_shadow_x=”6″ box_shadow_blur=”18″ custom_background=”#000000″ custom_text=”#ffffff”][kleo_gap size=”20px”]Below are the four key levels of offices and issues that all eligible voters should pay attention to as they prepare and inform themselves for election day.
Federal: US Senate
The US Senate at the federal level makes up the “upper chamber” of the US Congress. There are typically one hundred (100) elected senators in office at any given time, two from each of the 50 official states. Each senator typically serves a term of six (6) years before the next re-election. Senators typically have no term limits. If you’d like to know further details about the US Senate, their official government site has more information here →
Federal: US House of Representatives
The US House of Representatives at the federal level makes up the “lower chamber” of the US Congress. There are well over four hundred elected representatives at any given time (currently 435 with full voting rights), with the number of representatives per state being proportionate to population. Each representative typically serves a term of two (2) years. Representatives typically have no term limits. If you’d like to know further details about the US House of Representatives, their official government site has more information here →
State, County and City Offices
Throughout the United States and its territories, each state, county, district, city and town has developed elected governing bodies that are often similar, though not identical, to the two-chambered US Congress at the federal level. Thus as an American voter, you will often be asked to evaluate a candidate for your state’s Senate and your state’s House of Representatives or House of Delegates. You will also be called upon to vote for council persons as well as mayors, elected judges, attorneys general, district attorneys and, of course, governors and their deputies, etc. If you’d like to know further details about the State Legislatures, this government site here has more information →
State, County and City Issues
And here at this level the full (some say “remarkable”) diversity of voting environments in the US becomes apparent. Different states and districts, even cities and towns, put different policy and legislative issues to a general vote. So during midterm elections in November, you can have one voter deciding on issues of limited effect, while a voter in a neighboring state decides on a statewide law to go into effect in a year (soon!), or on a proposed tax resource allocation with massive effects on the state budget. Both on the same day. Because of this variety, it is important not to focus only on the federal and state office candidates. If you’ve recently moved from one place to another, please promptly get informed about the significance of your attendance at that voting booth come election day. If you’d like to know further details about the policy and legislative issues you can vote on in your area, start with your state site for voter information →
Your Impact
Post-Elections Results
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FUTURE ELECTIONS
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