General elections

"We live to what is called democracy, rule by the majority of people. A fine ideal if it could be made to work. The people elect, but the party machines nominate, and the party machines, to be effective must spend a great deal of money. Some­body has to give it to them, and that somebody, whether it be an individual, a financial group, a trade union or what have you, expects some consideration in return..." (Raymond Chandler, "The Long Goodbye")

A general election is a state-wide election, usually held short­ly after a primary election, to fill state and national offices. States hold national presidential elections every four years, in November, and national congressional elections in the even-numbered years (mid-term elections).

The date of the American presidential election is fixed by law - every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

American Presidents and Vice-presidents are elected by an electoral college "which convenes for the balloting on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. The electors’ action is a mere formality and occurs long after the nation knows the outcome of the presidential election.

Each State is allotted the same number of electors in the college, as it has members in the Senate and House of Represen­tatives, or roughly in proportion to its population. In each State these electors are nominated and voted for by the respec­tive parties. In some States electors are nominated at party state-wide nominating conventions. In most States they are nominated in primary elections and listed on ballots in the general presidential election.

If a candidate wins a State, no matter by how small a margin, he picks up all its electoral votes. Thus there can be a big gap between the popular and the electoral vote. In 1796 Adams won in the electoral college balloting by a vote of 71 to 68, two electors, from Jefferson States voting for Adams. The resulting uproar led to the formation of political parties which chose their own candidates for office. The parties also made electors moral­ly, if not legally, bound to support party candidates.

The electors whose party wins in a State's balloting for Pre­sident meet to cast their votes at a place designated by the State legislature, usually the State capital. They never meet on an interstate basis, they meet as a state group and vote. The votes are sent to Congress where they are counted in the presence of both Houses on January 6. The President-elect is inaugurat­ed on January 20. The Twentieth Amendment makes noon on January 20, every four years, the time for the beginning of pre­sidential terms.

The President and Vice-President must be voted for as a team. To become President a candidate must receive, at least 270 votes, which constitutes a bare majority in the. 538-member electoral college. If the Househas to elect the President, each State will have a single vote, and a majority of the 50 State delegations (26 votes) would be needed to elect a president.

At the same time as the President, up for election are 35 Senate seats, as well as all 435 seats in the House of Represen­tatives. On the same ballot will be the election of 26 Governors and a host of other State and county officers. Typically, States hold state and county general election every November in even-numbered years, although some States elect some important state, officials arid judges in general elections held in odd-numbered years, frequently in spring.

The election laws and their qualifications vary in each State. Residence qualifications and the voting age differ greatly in many States. Some States have literacy tests and poll taxes. The Voting Rights Act of 1970 sets 30-day residence as the only precondition to voting in federal elections and in June 1971 a constitutional amendment was ratified making 18 the voting age.

On polling day the voting is by ballot, either paper, or by machine. With so many candidates a paper ballot may be several feet long and voting by machine, is preferable. The.use of "party-column" ballots (candidates are listed in columns according to party) encourages straight-ticket voting, i. e. voting, for all candidates of a single party for all offices. It requires the marking of a single "X" or the pulling of a single lever..

Prior to their participation in elections the prospective vot­ers must register in- accordance with the law of his State. Under a system of permanent registration the voter, once qualified, remains on the eligible list until he dies, moves, or fails to vote in several consecutive elections. Periodic registration requires that he enroll at the appropriate local office annually or at fix­ed intervals. Upon registration every citizen is eligible to vote on polling day.

If at the time of registration the prospective, voter indicates that he wants to be registered as a member of a specific party, it entitles him to participate in primary elections, though it does not commit him legally to vote for that party's candidate in the final elections.