US Elections

Elections in the United States are a complex, expensive, and highly consequential process that determines the holders of over 500,000 elected offices at federal, state, and local levels. For Edexcel A-Level Politics, the focus is on presidential elections and the institutions that shape them: the Electoral College, primaries and caucuses, campaign finance, and the parties. Understanding how US elections work - and how they compare with UK elections - is essential for Paper 3.

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The Electoral College

Structure

The President is not elected directly by the people but through the Electoral College, an indirect system established by Article II of the Constitution and modified by the Twelfth Amendment.

• Total electoral votes: 538
• To win: A candidate needs a majority - at least 270 electoral votes
• Each state receives electoral votes equal to its total congressional representation (House seats + 2 Senate seats)
• The District of Columbia receives 3 electoral votes (under the 23rd Amendment)