The 2024 United States presidential election looms closer. The stakes are high with figures like Joe Biden and Donald Trump running for re-election. Presidential elections are monumental events in the US, capturing the attention of the entire nation. However, that is not the case in South Korea as US presidential elections are just another foreign event. Therefore, the general public of Korea is not very well informed of the process due to their lack of interest or coverage on the topic. However, the US is a close ally of South Korea and a nation that holds great global influence. For those reasons, knowing the US presidential election process is quite important and may be of help.
The entire presidential election all starts a year before an election when candidates register with the Federal Election Commission to run for president. Although there are no deadlines for registration, there are requirements the candidates have to follow. To run for presidency, one must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and be a resident of the United States for 14 years. Around the same time, the candidates announce their intentions to run.
After some time, primary and caucus debates take place. Party members choose candidates that will represent them in national conventions. Then in national conventions, each party selects its final presidential nominee who will choose its running mate and go to the general election.
Then around November, the people of the United States cast their votes during the general election. The votes are cast in the Electoral College which is a very complicated voting system that deserves to be talked about in another essay. The electoral college votes are cast and the candidate with more electoral college votes wins. The victorious candidate becomes president with his or her running mate as the vice president and is inaugurated in January.
By. Donghun Song