Many Australians have followed the upcoming United States Presidential election for months. From rallies to debates, the happenings of this year’s presidential decider has made its way onto Australian television screens with some Aussies even having their say in who they would like to see occupy the White House for the next four years. But for those who aren’t too knowledgeable about the political scheme, it’s about time we help you understand how the race to presidency will play out by answering some of the most common questions Australian’s have about the election.
How does voting work, and how will it determine the winner?
American citizens who are over the age of 18 – with some individuals excepted – have the opportunity to vote for “electors” in their state who are advocates for either one of the two presidential candidates. The number of electors in each state is determined by the state’s population. In total, there are 538 electors which makes up for the 435 congress men and women, 100 senators, plus three additional electors from the District of Columbia.
Usually, the candidate who has received the most elector votes in that state wins that state’s electoral college votes and the candidate who sways the most states wins the presidency.
When will we find out the winner of the election?
All voting is to be done by election day which occurs on the first Tuesday in November, this year being November 3rd in the US. However, due to a large number of early mail-in ballots as a result of COVID-19, the outcome of this year’s election may not be known for days or even a week following the election day.
When will the next four years of presidency start for the president-elect?
The winner of the election doesn’t become president right away as there is a transition that occurs beforehand. Rather the winner is known as the president-elect until they take up office. Either Donald Trump or Joe Biden will become the official president for the next four years after their inauguration into that position on January 20, 2021.
Will Trump go down nicely if Biden wins?
As state polls lean more towards Biden taking the presidency, many are concerned that if Trump does lose the election, he won’t go down without a fight. Back in February 2019, Michael Cohen, Trump’s former fixer, raised concern about what the current president may do if he lost this year’s election.
“Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses in 2020, that there will never be a peaceful transition of power,” Cohen said at the end of his congressional testimony.
This fear, along with the previous 2016 election’s Russian interference and Cambridge Analytica events, has many concerned that Trump will do whatever it takes to ensure that he is re-elected as president. Whether this actually happens, we’ll just have to wait and see. While the outcome of the US election is crucial to the fate of American lives, that’s not the only country affected by who takes the presidential seat for the next four years. Australia’s economy, stock market and the simple fact that we’re allies with America could put us in an awkward and worse-off position if the wrong candidate is elected