US presidential polls 2016: Know the election process and how the president is elected

As the election day of the US Presidential Election 2016 is inching closer, speculations have started doing round that who will be the next President of the United States of America?

Before the crucial November 8 affair, when the citizens of USA will select their leader for the next four years let us give you a brief idea how the first citizen of the nation is selected. Know how the President of America is nominated, selected in the party and finally becomes the candidate for the US Presidential election.

An election for President of the United States occurs every four years on Election Day which for 2016 election is supposed to take place on November 8. Generally the day remains Tuesday after the first Monday of the November month.

>>The election process kick starts with the primary elections and general meeting and proceeds to nominating conventions, during which each political party selects a nominee.

>>The nominee then announces a Vice Presidential running mate with him for the elections. The candidate then does campaigning across the country to communicate and explain their agenda and plans to voters and participate in debates with candidates from other parties.

>>During the penultimate Election Day, the citizens of America head to the polls to cast their vote for President. But the tally of those votes—the popular vote—does not determine the winner. Instead, Presidential elections use the Electoral College.

>>To win the election, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes. In the event no candidate receives the majority, the House of Representatives chooses the President and the Senate chooses the Vice President.

The US Presidential election process follows the following routine cycle:

# Spring of the year before an election – Candidates announce their intentions to run. 

# Summer of the year before an election through spring of the election year – Primary and caucus (a meeting of the members of a legislative body who are members of a particular political party, to select candidates or decide policy) debates take place.

# January to June of election year – States and parties hold primaries and caucuses.

# July to early September – Parties hold nominating conventions to choose their candidates.

# September and October – Candidates participate in Presidential debates.

# Early November – Election Day

# December – Electors cast their votes in the Electoral College.

# Early January of the next calendar year – Congress counts the electoral votes.

# January 20 – Inauguration Day