The presidential race is when people with similar political ideas compete to become the president of the United States. People who want to run for president belong to a particular political party and campaign through primaries and caucuses to win the support of their party. Those that do well in these events, which begin in February, are rewarded with delegates who will vote for them at their party’s convention. The winner of the convention receives the party’s nomination for the presidency and becomes the candidate that will face the other party’s nominee in the general election.

In the election, all 50 states have a number of electoral votes based on their population. The winner of the election needs 270 electoral votes to become the next president. Most states lean towards one candidate or the other but there are several swing states that could go either way.

Many voters are also choosing members of Congress – the House of Representatives and the Senate. These two chambers of the US government pass laws and can act as a check on the White House’s plans.

In recent years, there has been a move to allow independents and third party candidates to participate in debates with the main contenders. Usually, those who want to be included in the debates must meet a certain threshold of popular support in polling. They must also be able to demonstrate that they can win enough electoral votes to have a reasonable chance of winning the presidency.