All About Electing a President of the United States

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All About Electing aPresident of the United
States 
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The job of President is very important.

• The President picks many of the people who help
  run the country including judges.
• He or she is in charge of the Army, Navy, Air
  Force, and Marines.
• He or she represents the U.S.A. and decides how
  we work with other countries.
• The President suggests laws and signs laws and
  sometimes even rejects laws.
• He or she works to help other countries get
  along.  

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The Election

• Every four years the people of the USA choose a
  President.
• An election takes place on the first Tuesday
  after the first Monday in November.
• In 2008, Americans will go to the polls on
  November 4.

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Not just anyone can be President.

• You have to be born in the United States and be
  at least 35 years old.
• You can only be President for eight years (that's
  two four-year terms.) Franklin Delano Roosevelt
  was the only person to be President for more than
  two terms. He was elected four times.
• The President can be a man or a woman of any race
  or any religion.

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Who is running for president?
Ralph NaderRunning Mate Matt Gonzalez
Cynthia Ann McKinneyRunning Mate Rosa A.
Clemente
Charles O. BaldwinRunning Mate Darrell L.
Castle
 Robert L. Barr, Jr.Running Mate Wayne A. Root
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The two major candidates

• There are several people running for
• president but the two major
• candidates are

• Arizona Senator John McCain
• Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

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Arizona Senator John McCain is the Republican
Party Presidential Candidate. His running mate
is Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska.
Presidential Candidate John McCain
Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin
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Illinois Senator Barack Obama is the Democratic
Party Presidential Candidate. His running mate is
Senator Joe Biden of Delaware.
Presidential Candidate Barack Obama
Vice Presidential Candidate Joe Biden
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Third party candidates

• Yes, there are other candidates besides Obama and
  McCain, but in Americas winner takes all
  elections, they rarely win.
• This is Nader's fifth campaign.

Ralph Nader Peace and Freedom Party
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Primaries and caucauses

• It takes a lot of work and many months to be
  elected president. People vote during the state
  primaries and caucuses. That helps each party
  decide who to choose as their candidate.

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Candidates try to get people to vote for them

• They make speeches, shake hands, give interviews,
  and pay for ads on TV, radio, and in newspapers. 

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Candidates choose running mates and ideas

• The political parties choose a candidate at their
  conventions. The candidate then picks their Vice
  Presidential running mate.

• The members of the party choose the ideas they
  think are important and the candidates begin to
  campaign.

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The candidates really campaign hard.

• They march in parades, shake hands, give
  speeches, and talk on TV shows.

Volunteers put up signs, banners, posters, and
make phone calls to convince people to vote for
their candidate.
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Candidates debate

• The candidates have debates where they answer
  questions about the issues that are important to
  the people in our country. The debates are shown
  on television and lots of people watch.
• The debates help voters decide who to vote for.

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Voting in November 4

• On the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
  November, people all over the United States go to
  a polling location and vote their choice for
  President.
• Some people vote by punching a hole in a card,
  some use computers with touch screen, some people
  still vote using paper ballots or by putting an X
  in a box next to the candidate's name.

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Who can vote

• You have to be at least 18 years old to vote, you
  must be a United States citizen, and you must be
  registered to vote. A person who is in jail or
  who is on probation for committing a felony
  (serious crime such as murder or robbery) cannot
  vote. 

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Electoral votes --How many do each state get?
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Each state has a certain number of electoral votes

• The more people that live in your state-the more
  electoral votes your state gets. (This is why
  candidates spend a lot of time in California, New
  York, and Texas)
• In 48 of the states, the candidate that gets the
  most votes gets all the electoral votes for that
  state. Nebraska and Maine, do not follow the
  winner-take-all rule. In those two states there
  could be a split of electoral votes among the
  candidates.

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The first candidate to win 270 electoral votes
becomes the President!
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The President elect picks people who help run the
country.

•  He or she has to choose the people who would
  help the President run their office at the White
  House.
• They help plan who will be nominated for Cabinet
  positions.

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January 20, 2009

• On January 20, the President is sworn in, in
  Washington, D.C.  
• He recites an oath "I do solemnly swear that I
  will faithfully execute the Office of President
  of the United States, and will, to the best of my
  ability, preserve, protect, and defend the
  Constitution of the United States." 

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The inauguration

• After the inauguration, the President nominates
  people for the jobs he or she wants them to be in
  charge of in the different departments of the
  federal government. The heads of the departments
  make up the President's cabinet. There are many
  jobs to be filled and they are all important. The
  Senate must approve each nominee. 

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1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

• The new President and his family move into the
  White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in
  Washington, D.C.
• That's when the hard work really starts. They
  will live there and work there for the next four
  years.

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Voting some points to ponder
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Why is it important to vote?

• These candidates will decide your taxes, rights
  and how you live.
• To be an informed and active citizen

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How to select a Candidate
1.Character- Which person can I trust the
most? 2.Qualifications- What education does this
person have that would be helpful in the office
they are seeking. 3. Experience- What experience
does the person have that would help them deal
with issues important to you. 4.Charisma-Will
this person be able to move people to action.
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Dont Elect A Villain!
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Preserve Your Freedom.
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How is the President Elected?
1. The Electoral college elects the president 2.
Each states electors are equal to the number of
representatives and senators. 3. The candidate
with the majority of the electoral votes win.
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Can a candidate win the popular vote and lose the
election?
YEAR POPULAR
ELECTORAL
VOTE COLLEGE
1876 Samuel Tilden (D) 50.9 184
Rutherford B Hayes (R) 47.9 185
1888 Grover Cleveland (D) 48.6 168
Benjamin Harrison (R) 47.8 233
2000 Al Gore (D) 48.4
266 George W. Bush (R) 47.9
271
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Representatives to Washington
How is the number of representatives determined?
Population of the state
How often are representatives elected?
Every 2 years
How many representatives does Illinois get?
19
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Illinois congressional districts
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Senators to Washington
How many senators do each state get?
2 per state
How often are Senators elected?
6 years
Who are Illinois current Senators?
Barack Obama, Dick Durbin
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Illinois Governor
How often does the governor get elected in
Illinois?
Every four years
Who is the current Governor?
Rod Blagojevich