US Politics

US Election Explainer: How to become president

The White House with a US flag flying
This will be your home if you win the US Presidential Election

In today's explainer, get the low-down on what you'll need to do if you want to become President of the United States. Get ready for a bumpy ride...

  • Want to be President of the United States? This is what it takes

  • 46 people have held the position including current candidate Donald Trump

  • Going from regular citizen to Commander-in-Chief is no mean feat

  • Check out our 2024 US Presidential Election Live Blog here

  • View Betfair Exchange politics markets as you have never seen before at Betfair Predicts


Quick guide to reaching the White House

The United States of America has long been known - not least by its own citizens - as "the land of the free and the home of the brave".

When a group of states declared themselves independent from British rule in the American Revolutionary War, they initially had the Congress of the Confederation as the main political authority.

Yet 11 years later, more negotiations on the Constitution of the United States took place.

When they gathered and discussed their options, it was decided to create a new office for the President of the United States.

And so in 1789, George Washington was installed as the first US President, and served as one of the most consequential in history.

The path to the presidency has evolved dramatically over the years - and has indeed been dramatic fodder for many a TV show and film.

You're interested in becoming the leader of the free world? Here's your quick-and-easy guide to getting the keys to the White House.


The political basics

The first step is to become affiliated with one of the two political parties in the United States - either the Democrats or the Republicans.

Whilst you can declare your intention to run as an Independent candidate, as we covered before, the Democrats and Republicans have between them won every Presidential election since 1852.

Much like in the United Kingdom, most people in the United States who want a career in politics get involved early on, by volunteering their time to campaigns, and often getting involved in student politics or associating themselves with certain key issues.


Three key requirements to become the Prez...

There are three requirements in the US Constitution that dictate who can run to become the President of the United States.

The first is to be a "natural-born citizen" of the United States. This has become a topic of some debate in recent years - as it specifies not just that the candidate is a citizen, but a "natural-born" citizen, and doesn't specify what that means.

Those born in the US are eligible - and naturalized citizens are considered ineligible - but there is debate around those born outside the US to citizens of the US.

This was hotly debated in 2016, when Senator Ted Cruz ran for the Republican nomination for president. The Senator was born in Canada, to a US citizen mother.

The second requirement is that any candidate must also be aged 35 years or older, and the third is that they must have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.

Once these requirements have been met then a candidate can declare that they will be standing for the office of president.

Once you're running for president, you'll need more than just political chops to make a name for yourself - you'll need to raise serious funds. As we recently reported, in September alone the Trump campaign raised $160 million - and that will likely pale in comparison to what the Harris campaign will report.

You'll need to start recruiting your campaign team, and start traveling the country to rally support.


Winning your party's nomination

The next step towards the White House for nominees from the major parties will be so-called "primaries", held between six to nine months before the presidential election.

In these primaries, Democratic and Republican party delegates cast their ballots in secret for their preferred candidate. The state then awards a certain number of delegates to the winners of the primary, with the candidate winning the most delegates nationwide becoming the party's nominee.

Several states also operate with a system known as a caucuses whereby a group of your supporters will attend and try to sway other members of the party to vote for you.

Let's imagine that you've been successful in receiving the backing of your party of choice. Now it's on to the National Convention.

Kamala Harris speech at DNC with flags 1280.jpg

The National Convention for the presidential nominee is usually an occasion where they know they are likely to be anointed as the nominee for their party.

This year for example saw a party atmosphere as the Democrats gave a spirited, musical roll-call as they confirmed Kamala Harris as their choice for presidential nominee.

The roll-call is where delegates at the convention formally announce their state's number of votes for each nominee - though this has been decided weeks or sometimes months prior, during the primaries.

Once the roll-call is finished, the now-official Presidential nominee will make their speech and also declare their running mate - who would become vice-president if successful.

At this point it becomes all about convincing the American people that you are the right person for the job.


Hitting the trail

Debates usually take place in September and October across a number of the major American networks, whereby you'll face off against your opponent.

Sometimes you'll get lucky and your opponent might offer up a soundbite about immigrants eating cats and dogs - as happened last month at the debate between Trump and Harris.

It is important to come across as "Presidential" in these debates and show that you have the demeanour to hold the office. Though it's also a chance to hammer home the narrative you want to get across, both about yourself and your rival.

As the debates conclude, it's all about the final few weeks and getting out onto the road to visit key swing states and potential voters who might be won to your cause.

Harris v trump debate long shot 1280.jpg

US presidential elections can be tight - though Joe Biden won the 2020 election which had over 159 million votes cast, if Trump had won just shy of 43,000 more votes in some critical states, he could have been the victor.

On the first Tuesday in November, the public go to the polls to vote on who they want to be the next president of the United States.

If you win, then you have a few months to wait until January 20th when you will be sworn in as president. Though immediately after the election, you'll be busy building your Cabinet and choosing your thousands of appointees to govern during your four years.

There are approximately 4,000 political appointments which an incoming government and President need to fill or renew - and around 1,200 of those require the Senate's confirmation.


Helpful hints to win the Presidency

There are many helpful historical hints that can help when seeking to become President. One is the fact that 32 of the 45 US Presidents had military experience.

Interestingly enough, Biden, Trump, and Barack Obama - the last three presidents - did not.

Before their tenures, barring Bill Clinton, you have to go right back to FDR - Franklin D. Roosevelt, to find a president without such experience. He was president from 1933 to 1945.

Twenty-seven of those who have held the office practised as lawyers - meaning over half of those who have made the White House their home were already in the business of the law.

Many presidents had experience from serving in the government in some shape or form before launching their own campaigns for the highesst office.

In fact just one person in the history of the United States has become president without any military or prior political experience - Trump.

Trump is currently neck-and-neck with Kamala Harris in the betting markets to make a stunning return to the Oval Office, at 1/12.00 odds. He briefly became the favourite this week.


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