The race for the White House is almost over – but how does it all work again?
Millions of Americans will cast their votes in the country’s election this week. The result will be historical and likely to shape democracy in the US and the world.
Before the counting begins, The Briefing brings you the first part of this week’s special US election coverage.
The Briefing is bringing you comprehensive coverage of the US election. How do you become a US president? Listen below:
Chris Spyrou is joined by Matt Bevan, host of If You’re Listening, to explain everything you need to know about the Electoral College, voting in the states, and how the political system very different from Australia’s works.
The first thing you should understand is that the Electoral College is not actually a place but rather a process.
The system is unique. The United States is the only country in the world using the system designed in the 18th century.
“What is happening on election day is you’re not voting for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. You are voting for a set of electors from your state,” he said.
“Each state gets allotted a certain number of electors based on the population of the state, meaning the biggest state, California, gets 54 electors and the smallest population state, Wyoming, gets three.
“The interesting thing is winners take all, so if Harris wins one more vote than Trump (in California), she gets all 54 of the electors. They get put on her tally, and whoever gets a majority in the Electoral College, 270 out of 538 votes, wins the presidency.”
Now, with a basic understanding of the Electoral College, there’s more to the election process you need to be aware of: swing states, polling, popular votes, and the actual voting day process.
Listen to the episode now to find out more, and be sure to tune into The Briefing this week as we continue our special US election coverage.