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Soon after the USA was established, political parties developed, and now two parties, Democrats and Republicans, dominate the political scene. Around 1850 the two parties were the Whigs and the Democrats. The old Democrats tended to support state autonomy against the central government. In 1854 a northern alliance of people determined to abolish slavery founded a new party, which they called \"Republicans\". It rapidly absorbed the Whigs. Afterwards they represented the main stream of developing northern industry and free private enterprise. The Democrats are the party of the left, and for many decades the were the only party in the South. All elections must be looked at in terms of party.
Citizens aged eighteen or more may register as voters in their home towns, but about a quarter of all Americans do not bother to register, an so cannot vote. Both parties choose their candidates for most offices at public primary elections. In some states only people who have registered as Democrats may vote in Democratic primary elections, so too with Republicans. For the main offices the opposed candidates are normally Republicans and Democrats. Participation in elections is lower than in most other countries, around 60 percent at presidential elections, less than half in other ones. In most states people vote in referendums, on state and local questions at the same time as they vote for candidates for offices (for example the President).
Presidential elections: The President serves a four-year term and may stay in office for a total of two full terms only. He or she must be an American citizen born in the USA and over 35 years of age. Each of the two parties must choose a nominee from the various aspiring candidates. The presidential and vice-presidential nominees are selected at the parties\' national conventions by a simple majority of the delegates previously chosen either at state conventions or elected in primaries.
After the official nomination the election campaign begins in earnest continuing until Election Day, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in leap years. Voters are registered and the party machinery drums up support, tries to win floating voters over etc.
On Election Day the electorate votes not for the presidential candidates themselves but for those presidential electors (members of the Electoral College) who have pledged to support a particular candidate.
The officially elected President, who is inaugurated and sworn in in January, is the candidate who has received the votes of the majority of the electors in the Electoral College.
The serious anomaly in the electoral college system is the rule that in each state the candidate who wins the biggest number of the people\'s votes receives the whole electoral college vote for the state, no matter how small the majority.
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