As November approaches, with just over a month left until the presidential race concludes, all eyes are on Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump as they take the stage. Over 160 million registered voters can cast their ballots on November 5. The results of the much-anticipated election would set the tone for the next four years to come.
Harris and Trump have been avidly campaigning for the past few months and press polls suggest the results could go either way. Along the way, both the Democratic and Republican party have encountered several mishaps. For Democrats, President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race after facing much criticism from the American public and other politicians for his age and ability to defeat Trump. Soon after, the party rapidly moved its attention to Vice President Harris, who would later confirm her nomination at the Democratic National Convention in August. This gives Harris limited time to gather support for her campaign. For Republicans, Trump faced legal troubles after receiving several federal and state indictments and facing a grand jury in New York that voted to convict the former president for thirty-four counts of business falsification. Trump also experienced two assassination attempts during his campaign, one during a Pennsylvania rally where the bullet grazed his right ear, and another at his golf club.
Despite all of this, however, the election moves forward as planned. In this article, we will provide a brief overview of the election timeline and what it means for the history of the US.
Flow of Presidential Race
Late 2023: Announcement of Candidacy
Individuals would publicly announce their candidacies to the American public. Last year, Democrats were set on President Biden while Republicans favored former President Trump. Other GOP candidates that gained traction at the time included Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
January to June 2024: Presidential Primaries and Caucuses
Primary elections and caucuses are held in all US states, the District of Columbia, and other territories to help parties nominate individual candidates. Typically, these primaries and caucuses begin in less populous states such as Iowa and New Hampshire in January. Many states compete for earlier primaries since the early primaries bear the greatest influence over the process. The competition for these spots is known as “front-loading”.
Republican contender at the 2024 Presidential Primaries; Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Tim Scott (left to right)
The most significant day amongst these primaries is known as Super Tuesday, which occurred on March 5. Over a dozen states, including the two most populous states, California and Texas, hold their primary. This serves as a decisive moment in the election for both parties. At this point, it becomes fairly clear who each party seeks to nominate as their candidate.
July and August 2024: Democratic and Republican Conventions
At conventions, each party selects its nominee and their respective political party platform. A party platform is an agenda that is used to formally set principles goals supported by the party and the individual candidate. Running mates are also announced shortly before or after each convention.
Democratic National Convention 2024 had a large turnout
In July, the Republican National Convention officially selected Donald Trump as their presidential nomination alongside Senator JD Vance, his running mate. This was the first event Trump had made a public appearance at since the attempted assassination on the former president two days before at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. This year, the Republican party platform focussed on economic policy and homeland security, emphasizing the importance of conservative sanctions and a self-sustaining “all-American” economy. Politicians also noted how the platform directly opposed migrant and immigrant populations in the United States. The party advocates its candidate's motto “Make America Great Again” in this platform.
August, the Democratic National Convention formally selected Vice President Kamala Harris as their presidential nomination alongside her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz. The party focuses on a vast variety of topics in its 92-page final master platform. Overall, the platform promises to strengthen infrastructure, international relations, and climate sanctions. It also emphasizes supporting low-income families and combating major issues such as the fentanyl crisis and domestic violence, particularly gun violence.
August to October 2024: Campaigning and Debates
Currently, the United States is undergoing a crucial process in its democratic system. Both Harris and Trump have been avidly campaigning, from airing television ads to organizing rallies across the country. Presidential rallies are especially important in what are called battleground states or “swing states”. These states are where both Democrats and Republicans have the opportunity to sway votes and possibly influence the results of the entire election since these states either have an undecided population or share equal support for each candidate. This year, notable swing states include Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin.
Oftentimes, these swing states receive the most attention in elections. For example, Kamala Harris may not hold a rally in a state that seems to have secured support for Democrats like California. Instead, she’d coordinate her rallies to be in swing states such as Florida or Pennsylvania.
Almost always, candidates also receive public endorsements from politicians and celebrities. Donald Trump has received support from many Republican colleagues such as Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, and Nikki Haley. Most notably, it has also been reported that he has received an endorsement from the CEO of Tesla Motors Elon Musk. Harris on the other hand has received support from President Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and even Republican politicians Liz and Dick Cheney. Amongst celebrities, the vice president has received support from Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, and many others.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris at their first Presidential Debate
Most importantly, presidential debates are held around this time. These forums are nationally televised and highly anticipated as they typically showcase the powers of both candidates face-to-face as they present their takes on certain topics. Only two presidential debates have been held so far; one between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, and the other between Trump and Kamala Harris. While there were several different opinions on who triumphed in these debates, it is clear that there were many takeaways from this event and many undecided candidates have reported who they expect to vote for in November, despite press polls continuing to suggest the outcome of the election can go either way.
November 5: The General Election
Finally, voters will be able to cast their ballots and determine the future of the United States of America. Despite less than half of the country’s population being registered to vote, this year’s election is expected to be a major point in American history.
The American voting system uses the Electoral College, a system that tracks votes by assigning states a certain amount of votes depending on the number of congressional districts in the state in addition to the two senators for that state. For example, California has 54 votes (52 congressional districts and 2 senators). Though this process has faced some backlash and criticism, it remains the determinant of the outcome of the American general election. The candidate who receives more than 270 electoral college votes is the presumptive winner of the election.
However, the results of the election are not official until December, when all votes are certified by the electoral college. Historically, the presumptive winner corresponds with the winner of the election when votes are certified.
January 2025: Congressional Certification and Inauguration
By early January, Congress is expected to certify the election results, formally declaring the winner of the election. On January 20, the new President of the United States was inaugurated, bringing about four new years to the nation.
How This Looks in the History Books
Non-Consecutive Terms
If Donald Trump succeeds in his campaign, he will not be the first president in American history to serve two non-consecutive terms. In fact, in 1893, Grover Cleveland became the first person to serve two non-consecutive terms.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
If Kamala Harris succeeds in her campaign for president, she would be the first woman in office. Her presidency would also be the first president of South Asian descent.
A Heated Political Climate
Tensions are at an all-time high between the two major political parties. The Democrats face the challenge of combating conservative politicians who seek to implement right-wing policies that go entirely against Democratic values that are favored by many rural and suburban Americans. Conservatives face the concern of a high turnout of young voters, women, people of color, and other minority groups that seek to vote blue in November. As Trump faces legal troubles, voters question whether he is a suitable candidate. Harris had a limited time to prepare herself to take on Biden’s formal role as the Democratic candidate.
Each side has an opposite take on abortion, gun control, education, climate, migrant support, and foreign policy, further tearing the nation apart. Many political historians have reported that this is one of the greatest divides in American history. And it’s just one month until the people of the United States decide.
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