close
close

US elections 2024: how Americans choose their president for the candidate with the most votes, which may not win

US elections 2024: how Americans choose their president for the candidate with the most votes, which may not win

  • The race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris has been close, and more twists are expected after polls close on Tuesday, November 5, 2024
  • For a candidate to become president-elect of the United States, he or she must win enough individual states to exceed the required 270 electoral college votes
  • YEN.com.gh found that in at least five cases in history, the candidate with the largest share of the popular vote did not win the US presidency

The US The 2024 election is just two days away and the rest of the world is watching Donald Trump fights Kamala Harris.

Trumpformer US president, is the standard-bearer of the Republican Party. Harris, on the other hand, represents the Democratic Party and is the current vice president.

Read also

Explainer: How American citizens in Ghana can vote in the November U.S. elections

US Elections 2024: The way Americans choose their president as the candidate with the most votes may not win
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are vying to succeed Joe Biden as US president.
Source: Getty Images

Harris, 60, has the strong support of the incumbent president Joe Biden and former US President Barack Obama.

Several prominent figures have endorsed Trump for president, including Elon Musk and Hulk Hogan.

YEN.com.gh reports that the 60th US presidential election will decide the 47th president – widely considered the most powerful position in the US world.

Tens of millions People I already voted in advance, by post or in person, thus avoiding long queues and potential inconvenience.

US elections: popular vote does not guarantee victory

In the US, the candidate with the most votes may lose i YEN.com.gh explains how.

There have been five elections in U.S. history – in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016 – in which the candidate who became president did not win the popular vote.

Read also

US presidential election: 5 reasons why Kamala Harris can defeat Donald Trump

American citizens do not directly elect their president. This task is reserved to the Electoral College.

Each state is allocated electoral votes not based on population but on its representation in the US Congress.

Each state has at least one member of the House of Representatives and two members of the Senate, meaning each state has at least three electoral votes, regardless of population size.

The Electoral College has 538 votes, and an absolute majority of them is needed to win – 270 or more. The constitution also includes a complex emergency procedure in the event that no candidate wins a majority in the electoral college.

The election of president would then be decided by the House of Representatives, with each state delegation having only one vote.

More election news on Kamala Harris

Read also

Electoral College: The history of the US voting bloc, how it works and why it matters in the Harris-Trump matchup

More election news about Donald Trump

Trump v. Harris: States could influence the outcome

YEN.com.gh reported that as the election approaches, Trump and Harris are focusing on seven key battlefields conditions that may influence the outcome.

Polls show tight races in states like Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, further emphasizing the importance of voter turnout.

Trump has secured significant financial support, and Biden’s endorsement has strengthened Harris’ position in this hotly contested US election.

Source: Legit.ng