Advertisement

When is the US Election? 2020 date, candidates and how it works

The race for the White House has begun: AFP via Getty Images
The race for the White House has begun: AFP via Getty Images

America will go to the polls later this year to vote for the next president of the United States.

Most voters are expected to decide between candidates from the Democrats (the liberal, left-of-centre party) and the Republicans (the conservative, right-of-centre party).

The first candidate to win enough states to get to 270 electoral votes becomes the president.

Let's take a look at who is in the running and when the election will take place.

Joe Biden, left, is the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican President Donald Trump (Getty )
Joe Biden, left, is the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican President Donald Trump (Getty )

When is the 2020 US Election?

The election is set to take place on November 3, 2020. Presidential elections always take place on the first Tuesday after November 1.

Mr Trump and Mr Biden each need 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.

While most states have a favourite, in some regions, it is too close to call.

The new president will be inaugurated on January 20, 2021.

Who is in the running?

Incumbent President Donald Trump, is standing again as the Republican candidate and hopes to serve a second term as the 45th president in the White House.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee. His major rival for the role, Senator Bernie Sanders, suspended his campaign in April 2020.

Mr Biden beat out tens of competitors overall to clinch the title, including Mr Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Senator Kamala Harris, who was later announced as Mr Biden's running mate.

Libertarian Party candidate Jo Jorgensen and the Green Party's Howie Hawkins will also contest the election but are unlikely to secure many votes.

In a somewhat bizarre turn of events, Rapper Kanye West, 43, also announced earlier this year he was running for the US' highest political office.

The artist missed the deadline to qualify for the ballot in several states, however. and will only be a candidate in 12 states as a result.

Mr Trump at his inauguration alongside outgoing president Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden (AFP via Getty Images)
Mr Trump at his inauguration alongside outgoing president Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden (AFP via Getty Images)

How does the vote work?

US citizens heading to the polls will vote for people called 'electors' in their state who then vote on behalf of the states for president - this process is called the electoral college.

The higher the population of a state, the more electors that state has. The six biggest states are California, with 55 electoral votes, Texas, with 38, New York, with 29, Florida, also with 29, Illinois, with 20, and Pennsylvania, also with 20.

The first candidate to win a majority of 270 electoral votes out of the total 538 available wins the White House.

The popular vote - the sheer number of votes received by each candidate - has nothing to do with determining the winner of the general election.

Losing candidates have on occasion won the popular vote, but lost the electoral vote, as happened to Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

How has the election been affected by coronavirus?

Since his selection of Ms Harris as his running mate on August 11, Mr Biden has had 22 days when he either did not make public appearances, held only virtual fundraisers or ventured from his Delaware home solely for church.

He made 12 visits outside of Delaware during that period, including a trip to Washington to pay respects to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

During the same time, Mr Trump had 24 trips that took him to 17 different states, not counting a personal visit to New York to see his ailing brother in the hospital or weekend golf outings.

Mr Biden’s aides insist his approach is intentional, showcasing his respect for public health guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus and presenting a responsible contrast with Mr Trump, who has resumed large-scale campaign rallies, sometimes over the objections of local officials.

​Amid the pandemic, several states are meanwhile aiming to make voting by post easier for this election to avoid large crowds at voting stations.

But Mr Trump has said the move could lead to "the most corrupt election" in American history.

Several studies contradict Mr Trump's comments, including 2017 research by the Brennan Centre for Justice, which found that the rate of voting fraud overall in the US is between 0.00004 per cent and 0.0009 per cent, and an investigation of the 2016 election by the Washington Post that found one proven case of postal voting fraud.

Read more

Who's left in the running for the 2020 US Presidential Election?

Kanye West breaks down in tears at unconventonial campaign launch

Kanye West's run for presidency: The story so far

Trump refuses to say he'll accept election results if Biden wins

Kanye West secures spot on Oklahoma presidential election ballot