Christina Barron
Editor-in-chief of KidsPost, a section of the Washington Post for ages 7 to 13
Update: The number of Democratic candidates in this story has dropped from seven to six. Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, announced Sunday night that he is ending his campaign.
In a presidential election year, Tuesdays are very important. The largest is the first Tuesday in November, or election day. On that day, as you probably know, Americans vote for a president, usually among the candidates of the main parties. But first, until June, voters will help political parties choose their candidates. Most of the time, this happens on Tuesday, and this process occurs in many states on Tuesday. It’s called Super Tuesday, and we thought it would be a good place to start KidsPost’s look at the 2020 presidential election.
Who can be elected president?
There are some rules mentioned in the Constitution. A person must be at least 35 years of age, have resided in the United States for at least 14 years, and be a natural American citizen. The term “natural born” is a bit vague, but it usually means a citizen by birth, including people born in other countries who have a parent who is a U.S. citizen.
Who is running in 2020?
The two main political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, will appoint a person to the presidency. In the Democratic Party, there are six candidates: former vice-president Joe Biden, former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg, American representative Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), American senator Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota), the US Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and US Senator Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts). The Republican Party has two: President Donald Trump and Bill Weld, former Massachusetts governor. There are also candidates from minor parties and independents, but the major parties generally dominate the electoral process.
Who elects the president?
When the Constitution was drafted, only white men who owned property could generally vote. Today, citizens aged 18 and over can vote in the presidential election. Many of them do not vote, however. In 2016, only 61.6% of eligible voters voted, according to the US Census Bureau. It’s much less than countries like Australia, Sweden and Germany.
How do electors choose a candidate?
Most voters have issues that are important to them. Problems could include healthcare, education, the economy, immigration, climate change or gun control. Applicants typically campaign for months, delivering speeches, buying advertisements, participating in debates and organizing community gatherings. They also post their views on these topics on campaign websites. Journalists research candidates’ proposals and examine their backgrounds to provide additional information to voters.
How does the voting process work?
There are two methods: state primaries and caucuses. Most states have primaries. During a primary, voters select a candidate on a ballot. Each state political party establishes its own rules for participating in the ballot, so that voters in different states may have different choices. Candidates win delegates to a party’s national convention based on the number of votes they get.
In traditional caucuses, voters registered with a political party meet in schools or community centers to talk (and sometimes discuss) about the candidates. They form groups during these meetings according to the candidate they support. Candidates with a certain percentage of supporters win delegates. This year, the Iowa Democratic Party allowed voters to participate online, but the process had technical problems that delayed results for several weeks.
When will the parties choose their candidates?
States parties will send delegates to national conventions, where they will appoint one person for the Democratic Party and one person for the Republican Party. The Democrats will meet for this purpose in mid-July; Republicans in late August. Nominees will also announce, if they have not already done so, who will appear with them as Vice-President.
At the end of August, many voters will focus only on the two people chosen by the main parties. Choosing two may seem easy, but it’s an important decision. And even if the children cannot vote, it does not mean that you cannot participate in the process. Learn about the candidates. (Email us at kidspost @ wash post.com with your story ideas related to the election.) Also talk to your classmates, teachers and family members. You might make adults believe that the next generation of electors already have voices that need to be heard.
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