The presidential race is when candidates from the two main political parties – the Democrats and Republicans – begin their campaigns for the nation’s top office. They hold rallies and participate in televised debates to win support from voters nationwide. Once a candidate has a statistically feasible chance of winning a majority of the country’s electoral votes (270) they will be eligible to appear on ballots in all states for the November election.
The candidates are then “endorsed” by their party at a national convention. This usually takes place in July or August. Once the final nominee is selected he or she will select a running mate, and the campaign will continue until the election in November.
Following the general election in November, the electors will vote and the candidate with the most votes becomes president. The second-place candidate becomes the vice president. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of electoral votes, a special election is held by the U.S. House of Representatives to determine the winner.
In June of 2024, Biden’s campaign was hampered by his poor performance in a nationally televised debate with Trump. He was criticized for stumbling and meandering his answers to questions. Many Democratic politicians, commentators and news organizations called for him to withdraw from the race. He eventually did, and endorsed Harris to be his party’s nominee.
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