What do voters look for in a president

At the end, the number of voters in each group determines how many delegates each candidate has won. During a closed primary or caucus, only voters registered with that party can take part and vote. Learn which states have which types of primaries. At stake in each primary or caucus is a certain number of delegates. These are individuals who represent their state at national party conventions. The parties have different numbers of delegates due to the rules involved in awarding them.

Each party also has some unpledged delegates or superdelegates. These delegates are not bound to a specific candidate heading into the national convention. When the primaries and caucuses are over, most political parties hold a national convention. This is when the winning candidates receive their nomination. For information about your state's presidential primaries or caucuses, contact your state election office or the political party of your choice.

Anyone who meets these requirements can declare their candidacy for president. That includes naming a principal campaign committee to raise and spend campaign funds. To become the presidential nominee, a candidate typically has to win a majority of delegates. This happens through additional rounds of voting. Pledged, or bound delegates must support the candidate they were awarded to through the primary or caucus process.

In the first round of voting, pledged delegates usually have to vote for the candidate they were awarded to at the start of the convention. Unpledged delegates don't. Superdelegates can't vote in the first round unless a candidate already has enough delegates through primaries and caucuses to get the nomination. Superdelegates can vote in these later rounds. At the convention, the presidential nominee officially announces their selection of a vice presidential running mate.

Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They'll get you the answer or let you know where to find it. How to Become President of the United States. A Presidential candidate must be: A natural born citizen U. Step 2: National Conventions and General Election After the primaries and caucuses, each major party, Democrat and Republican, holds a national convention to select a Presidential nominee.

On election day, people in every state cast their vote. Step 3: The Electoral College When people cast their vote, they are actually voting for a group of people called electors. The newly elected President and Vice President are then inaugurated on January 20th.

Share This Page:. Do you have a question? Talk to a live USA. In the prior two presidential campaigns, military experience also was viewed very positively. The election was the first in more than 80 years in which neither of the major party presidential candidates had served in the military. But this may not be surprising given that military veterans make up steadily declining shares of both the public and members of Congress.

Members of certain other religious groups, however, may have a harder time reaching the White House because of their religious beliefs. Not believing in God remains an even greater potential liability for a candidate. But in September, majorities of voters in both parties said it was more important for a candidate to share their positions on the issues.

In times of uncertainty, good decisions demand good data. Please support our research with a financial contribution. It organizes the public into nine distinct groups, based on an analysis of their attitudes and values. Even in a polarized era, the survey reveals deep divisions in both partisan coalitions.

Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics. GOP primary voters are most receptive to a candidate with a military background, which would include just former Texas Gov. And Republicans, who have widely derided President Barack Obama as too inexperienced for the presidency, are sour on the notion of another presidential candidate who is a first-term senator.

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