Electionsin the United States

According to the U.S. Constitution, "no person except a citizen by birth" can not be elected as president
Can not be elected to this office any person under the age of 35 years and have not lived in for 14 years in the United States.
U.S. presidential candidates from Democratic and Republican parties nominated in primary elections (primaries) or caucus (the convention) parties.

Caucus - a meeting of party functionaries who carried out consistently across thevertical hierarchy of the party state: grass-roots organizations (parishes and townships) - mid-level party committees (districts, counties, constituencies for elections to Congress) - the party convention of the state. At each of these stages party membersvote for those delegates who will represent them and speak on their behalf at the next level of party organization of the state.

There are two forms of the caucuses - closed and open. In the first part can only registered members of the respective parties. Secondly - all voters, regardless of theirparty affiliation.

There are several types of primaries:
In closed primaries (closed primaries) are takingpart in the vote those voters who have declared their affiliation to the respective partyand registered as such.
In open primaries (open primaries) is open to all voters of the State, regardless of party affiliation. Operates only one limitation - the voter, as a rule, can take part in theprimaries, only one political party.
In the primaries, the general (blanket primaries) voters can vote, which is held by bothparties.
State law does not regulate the procedure for nominating caucuses. Another matter -the primaries, the organization which, in contrast to the party meetings, take on thestate governments. Primaries are held at such times that the states establish their own.

After completing a series of primaries held party conventions (conventions), which is officially proclaimed the party's support of a candidate. Candidates registered assecretaries of state candidates from the relevant parties. In addition, the laws of allstates allow registered independents. In this set of restrictions. In particular, a personpraymerz loser, can not be allowed to participate in the elections as independent candidates. Is not allowed to nominate one candidate for more than one elective office.

Candidates for president must establish the authorized political committee of the main(authorized committee) within 15 days from the day they became candidates(candidates are persons who claim to stand for election to that end, who collectedcontributions amounting to more than 5000 dollars or more spent 5000 dollars)

Law on the Federal Election Campaign tightly regulates the overall maximum amount ofexpenses that may be made by candidates for president. In that case, if they receive funds to conduct the election campaigns of the U.S. Treasury, they can be spent:
- Not more than $ 10 million to win the nomination as a presidential candidate, while in each state, they can spend no more than 16 cents per voter in the State;
- Not more than $ 20 million in order to achieve the election of the president.

Formally, the U.S. president is elected by an electoral college. Currently, it comprises538 people. From each state elected by the electors as many representatives andsenators they have in the U.S. Congress. In addition, three electors directs the District of Columbia. For the election of the president to the 270 electoral votes.
Presidential elections are held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in Novemberleap year. On the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December of that year,the electors meet in their state capitals, unless another place is not determined by a vote of state legislatures. They tend to vote for candidates of his party. Cases ofexceptions to this rule are extremely rare.

Federal law establishes the following procedure for the official tabulation of the results of presidential elections:
The Congress shall assemble at its meeting on the sixth day of January following the meetings of the electoral college.
The Senate and House of Representatives gather in the Conference Room of the House of Representatives in the hour of the day. Preside at that meeting takes on the chairman of the Senate.
By that time, shall be appointed two members of the Counting Commission (tellers) from the Senate and two members of the Counting Commission of the House of Representatives. They should be transferred after the chairman of the Senate will open the envelopes, all evidence of the voting or other documents, replacing the certificate of the electors voting

These testimonies and documents must be printed, announced and presented to the counting of votes, in alphabetical order, starting with the letter "A". Tellers are counting on the list as they appear in the disclosure of evidence of the vote.
After the votes are recorded and counted, the vote represented the chairman of the Senate, which they announce
If the election of the president and vice president of the United States took place, the records of this protocol logs are recorded in both houses of Congress.

In the event that candidates do not gain the majority (270) of electoral votes, appliesan extraordinary procedure for electing the president, provided XII Amendment to theConstitution of the United States:
According to the XII Amendment to the Constitution, the President elect U.S. House of Representatives from among three candidates with the most votes. Voting is conductedseparately for groups of deputies from each of the states. In addition, eachparliamentary group has only one vote regardless of its size. Voting is allowed only on condition that it involves at least two-thirds of the parliamentary groups of states. To be elected, a candidate must receive the votes of more than half of the parliamentarygroups of states.

The last stage of the presidential election - the inauguration. The newly electedpresident takes office at noon on January 20 next year after the election (AmendmentXX to the Constitution).