Electoral System in the United States: The presidential electoral system in the United States was first established by Article II of the United States Constitution. Presidential elections in the United States are held every four years, usually on Tuesdays between November 2 and 8. The American presidential electoral system is based on the Electoral College, an institution created to directly elect the president and vice president in presidential elections. The method of choosing the Electoral College is set forth in Article II, Section I, Clauses II and III of the Constitution. As stated in Clause II, the total number of representatives and senators from each state is equal to the number of electors each state may appoint. in the electoral college, however "no senator or representative, or person holding any office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector" (Article II, Section, Clause II). The Constitution states, however, that the exact method used to choose members of each state's electoral college is within the purview of each state's legislature. A common practice in most states is for political parties to appoint their representative electors either by a vote at the party's state committee meeting or at state party conventions. These appointees typically include party leaders, state elected officials, or people politically or personally affiliated with the presidential candidate. On general election day, voters' names may or may not appear on the ballot, depending on state prerogatives. Those that appear on the ballot generally appear under the names of the candidates represented by those voters. Citizens...... middle of paper ...... having the majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives receives the power of president. This voting process also takes place on a ballot, in which each state has only one vote and must vote for one of the top three presidential candidates. Likewise, in the event that the Senate must vote for the vice president, the vote takes place by ballot, and each state receives only one vote. If on Inauguration Day no president has been chosen, then the vice president-elect becomes acting president until a president is chosen. If, on Inauguration Day, neither the president nor the vice president has been chosen, then, under the 20th Amendment, Congress may determine who will be the acting president until a nominee for office presidential election qualifies. Political parties: Throughout history, American elections have (mostly) been dominated by a two-party system.