United States general election

United States general election
Name	United States general election
Type	National election
Date	First Tuesday after the first Monday in November
Frequency	Biennial
Country	United States

Contents

United States general election is the regular, scheduled electoral process in the United States that selects holders of federal, state, and local offices, most prominently the President of the United States, members of the United States Congress, governors, and state legislators. It occurs on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years and involves a complex interplay of constitutional provisions, statutes, and administrative practices shaped by landmark cases such as Bush v. Gore and statutes such as the Help America Vote Act of 2002. The process engages political parties like the Democratic Party (United States) and Republican Party (United States), third parties such as the Libertarian Party (United States) and Green Party (United States), and institutions including the Federal Election Commission and state secretary of state offices.

Overview

General elections in the United States determine membership in federal bodies like the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, executive offices like the President of the United States and state governorates, and myriad local offices including mayors and state legislators. The timing is set by the United States Constitution, statutes such as the Presidential Election Day Act, and interpretations by the United States Supreme Court; precedents include the elections of George Washington, the contested election involving Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden, and reforms following the Progressive Era. Political dynamics often reference figures and events such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, the New Deal, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Watergate scandal.

Federal elections use structures established by the United States Constitution, including the Electoral College for presidential contests and single-member districts with plurality voting for the United States House of Representatives. The United States Senate uses statewide elections, originally altered by the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Voting systems and ballot methods vary by state and include first-past-the-post voting, ranked-choice voting as used in Maine referendums, and variations in absentee and provisional ballots guided by the Motor Voter Act (1993). Redistricting follows census data from the United States Census Bureau and is shaped by court rulings such as Baker v. Carr and Shelby County v. Holder, as well as by state bodies like California Citizens Redistricting Commission and partisan legislatures.

Presidential elections combine primary contests run by parties—organized through state parties such as the Iowa Democratic Party and California Republican Party—and the general election decided by the Electoral College, with electors pledged under laws like those in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact debate. Notable presidential contests include Election of 1800, Election of 1860, Election of 2000, and Election of 2020. Congressional elections occur every two years for the United States House of Representatives and staggered six-year terms for the United States Senate, featuring high-profile races such as those for the Senate Majority Leader position, and contests involving figures like Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Cruz, and Elizabeth Warren.

Eligibility derives from the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, and the Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, with supplementary protections from laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Registration systems vary by state agencies such as Texas Secretary of State and Florida Department of State, with mechanisms including same-day registration used in states like Minnesota and automatic registration implemented in Oregon. Barriers and expansions have involved historical actors and events such as Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, Selma to Montgomery marches, and litigation in courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Campaigns are conducted by candidates, political action committees such as Super PACs, party committees like the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee, and independent groups including MoveOn.org and Americans for Prosperity. Financing is regulated by the Federal Election Campaign Act, enforced by the Federal Election Commission, and shaped by Supreme Court decisions including Buckley v. Valeo and Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. High-profile fundraisers and donors involve entities such as the National Rifle Association, Sierra Club, and billionaires like George Soros and Sheldon Adelson (businessman). Campaign techniques utilize advertising firms, data firms like Cambridge Analytica-related controversies, and technologies implicated in cases involving Facebook and Twitter.

Election administration is decentralized, performed by county clerks and state secretaries, with federal oversight by agencies such as the United States Department of Justice when enforcing civil rights. Post-election processes include canvassing by boards like state canvassing boards, certification by governors or secretaries of state as in Arizona Secretary of State, and challenges adjudicated in courts including the United States Supreme Court. Notable administration issues have arisen in jurisdictions such as Florida (2000 election recount) and Georgia (2020 presidential election recounts), involving recounts, adjudication of provisional ballots, and postelection audits by entities like Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Historical trends include realignment events like the New Deal coalition, the Southern realignment, and shifts during the Reagan Revolution. Controversies encompass voter suppression allegations tied to laws in states such as Texas (voting rights controversies) and North Carolina (2013 redistricting); election interference episodes involving Operation INFEKTION-style foreign meddling, Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections, and inquiries by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Other flashpoints include the role of the Electoral College in elections like Election of 1876 and Election of 2016, campaign finance debates centered on Super PACs and dark money, and legal battles exemplified by Bush v. Gore.