How U.S. Elections Work

A one-stop article for common voting law terms from A to Z. Learn about U.S. voting terms >

Learn how each political party chooses one person to represent them. Primary elections happen at local, state, and national levels. Info about primary elections >

The party convention will select candidates, decide popular issues, and get members excited for the election. Learn about this meeting of delegates. >

The U.S. does not have compulsory voting. The countries that do make voting required by law (though the penalties are usually mild). Learn about compulsory voting >

Learn about the process when a top-voted candidate still falls short of the minimum percentage of votes required. What is a runoff election? >

This article reviews the history and process of using the electoral college system to elect a president or vice president. Read about contingent elections >

Gathering and dropping off ballots for others is legal (in some states) and effective, but controversial. What is ballot harvesting? >

Learn about the intentional corruption of the election process and see examples of these fraud cases in our article about electoral and voter fraud >

Also called instant run-off voting, ranked-choice voting is gaining popularity as an alternative to traditional voting systems. Learn more about ranked-choice voting >

Learn about the meetings needed to discuss and decide which delegates to elect to support a preferred presidential nominee. How do caucuses work? >

An outline of the process and qualifications to become an election official. How to become an election official >

Citizens can initiate changes to state laws or ask for new laws. This is used for taxes, recalling elections, or anything that concerns the people of the state. Learn about citizen ballot initiatives >

Citizens do not vote for a presidential candidate at first. They must choose a group of electors who promises to vote for the person the citizen wants. Confusing? This article has all the details about the electoral college >

Review the history and laws regulating money in U.S. elections. Campaign finance laws info >

See the technology issues and how history has changed in this article about how voting machines work > 

Educate yourself on the pros and cons of requiring citizens to vote and learn about the countries that legally prosecute people who do not vote in our article on the compulsory voting debate >

Organizations and police can see your name, address, and party affiliation. Other information may be included depending on your state. Learn what's public on your voting record >

Learn the pros and cons of choosing your entire ballot within the same party. What is straight-ticket voting? >

Some locations are required to provide ballots in non-English languages, while others are not. Learn why in this article on bilingual ballots >

What does voting by mail look like in 2020? Is it safer? Fraudulent? Too complicated? Learn about the pros and cons of voting by mail >

In some states, you can rank your top choices, and if your top choice is eliminated, your second choice (or third choice) will get your vote. How does instant runoff voting work? >

A losing candidate can demand a recount of votes. Learn about the process and which laws apply when contesting an election. >