FLORIDA CIVICS – 101
Supervisor of Elections – Flagler County, Florida
According to the Constitution, the President of the United States must be at least 35 years old, a citizen of the United States from birth and a U.S. resident for 14 years. The term of office is four years.
The President of the United States is elected by the electoral college system of voting. Each state is allocated a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. Senators (always 2), plus the number of its U.S. Representatives (Florida has 25 after the last census). Therefore, Florida now has 27 electoral votes.
After their caucuses and primaries, the major parties nominate their candidates for President and Vice President at their national conventions – (traditionally held in the summer preceding the November election). Then on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November (in years divisible by 4), the people in each state cast their ballots. Whichever party slate wins the most popular vote in the states wins all of the electors of that state. The candidate for President with the most electoral votes, (provided that it is an absolute majority) is declared President. In the event no one obtains an absolute majority of electoral votes, the U.S. House of Representatives (as the chamber closest to the people) selects the President from among the top three contenders with each state casting only one vote and an absolute majority of the states being required to elect. If no one obtains a majority, the U.S. Senate then elects the President among the two top contenders.
In January, the new President and Vice-President are sworn into office.
