The race to become America’s next president has been one of the most dramatic and controversial in recent history. Billionaire businessman and reality television star Donald Trump entered the race in early 2016. He quickly racked up huge fundraising hauls and won many of the country’s swing states. Despite this, he lost the election to former Vice President Joe Biden.
The election was marred by allegations of voter fraud and accusations of mistreatment of voters. The results were contested by numerous groups, and the US Supreme Court has delayed the final announcement of the winner until it can resolve some outstanding issues.
USA In Brief: ELECTION
The US elects its president and other federal offices using a process that includes state primaries, caucuses, and party conventions. Once the candidates are selected, they go through a nomination process to secure the party’s official endorsement before the general election.
During the campaign, both candidates participated in a series of nationally televised debates. By most accounts Harris beat Trump in the debates, and she gained a lead in polls following them.
On November 6, 2020, voters went to the polls. Huge swathes of the map were coloured red for Republicans including large swaths of the south and west of the US while Democratic areas such as Colorado, New Mexico, Illinois and Minnesota were coloured blue. With all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 34 of the Senate contested, both parties needed to win to gain control of Congress. This allows Congress to pass laws and act as a check on the executive branch.