In November Americans will choose a President and Vice President. Before that happens however people from across the country and the world participate in a series of events called primaries, caucuses and conventions. These decide who will represent each party in the general election.
Candidates from the two main political parties the Democrats and Republicans set up their teams and start campaigning. They go on the road to meet with voters and fundraise. They also participate in televised debates. During the debates voters get to ask questions and compare the candidates on their ideas for running the country.
The last round of voting events is at the national conventions where delegates from each state will vote for a presidential candidate. If a candidate gets over 50% of the delegates he or she will be officially named as a presidential candidate. During these conventions each party will also select their vice presidential candidates.
In the general election in November all Americans will vote for their favorite presidential candidate and for a vice president. The person who receives the most votes in each state will become president, but the electoral college system can cause a candidate to win without having a majority of overall votes. Almost all states use a winner-takes-all method of allocating their electoral votes, which means that most states tend to lean towards one party or another. This forces candidates to spend exponentially more time, money and energy in a few key states, known as swing states, where they might have the chance of winning.