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How political parties pick their presidentialnominees

Image 1. The nominees for the 2016 presidential election, Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton,shake hands during the presidential debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, on September 26, 2016. Photo: DavidGoldman/AP Photo

In the United States, a presidential election is held every four years. Election Day takes place on

the first Tuesday of November in an election year. That's when Americans vote for a president.

Most often the president comes from one of the two major political groups. They are the

Democrats and the Republicans. Before Election Day, voters help the political groups pick who will

run for president. This happens in a series of elections that start in February of an election year

and continue through June.

Who Can Be Elected President?

There are a few rules mentioned in the Constitution. A person must be at least 35 years old to run

for president. They must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. They must be a "natural-born"

U.S. person. It is not fully clear what "natural born" is supposed to mean. Generally, it means

By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.11.20Word Count 760Level 740L

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

being a U.S. citizen since birth. That includes people born in other countries who have a parent

who is a U.S. citizen.

Who Is Running In 2020?

The two main political groups will each choose one person for president. The Democrats have

three candidates. The Republicans have two. There are other independent candidates, too. The two

major groups generally win most elections, though.

Who Elects The President?

When the Constitution was written, not many people could vote. It was mostly only white men

who owned property who could vote. Today, more people are allowed to vote for president. Voters

must be at least 18 years old and must be a U.S. citizen. Many people do not vote, however. In

2016, a little more than 6 in every 10 people who can vote, actually did. That's a lot lower than

countries such as Australia, Sweden and Germany.

How Do Voters Pick A Candidate?

Most voters have topics that are important to them.

These might include health care, education or the

economy. The candidates often start running for

election months before people vote. They make

speeches, buy ads, debate other candidates and

hold community events. They also post their views on

these topics on their websites. Journalists study the

candidates' plans and examine their backgrounds to

give voters additional information.

How Does The Voting Process Work?

There are two types of voting systems. They are called state primaries and caucuses. The primary

season begins in February of an election year and lasts until June. Most states have primaries. In a

primary, voters select one candidate. They mark their choice on a ballot. A ballot can be a piece of

paper or an electronic form. Each state political group makes its own rules for getting on the

ballot. As a result, voters in different states may have different choices. Candidates earn delegates

to a party's national convention. The number of delegates they get is based on how many votes

they get.

In caucuses, voters who are part of a political group meet in schools or community centers.

They talk and sometimes argue, about the candidates. They form groups at these meetings based

on which candidate they support. Candidates move forward based on how many supporters they

have. This year, the Iowa Democrats allowed voters to caucus online. The online

system had problems, though. It slowed down the results by weeks.

The results of both of these types of elections decide the nominee for each party. The election in

November decides who becomes president.

When Will The Parties Choose Their Nominees?

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Each political party has a big event called a national convention. It is where the political party

chooses its candidate. People called delegates go to the conventions. The delegates pass along the

choices that the voters made in each state. Democrats will meet for their convention in mid-July.

Republicans will meet in late August. The nominees will also announce who will run with them as

their vice president.

By late August, many voters will focus on just the two people chosen by the two major groups.

Picking between only two candidates may seem easy. It's an important choice, though.

Even though kids cannot vote, they can still be involved. It is important to learn about the

candidates. Talk to classmates, teachers and family members. You might get adults thinking that

the voters of the future already have voices that need to be heard.