The 2024 Presidential Election is upon us. The election will take place on November 5, 2024. The winner of this election will sit in office for four years starting in January 2025.
Former President Donald Trump is the Republican candidate. Ohio Senator JD Vance was selected as his Vice President.
Current vice president Kamala Harris is the candidate for the Democratic Party. She joined the race after Joe Biden dropped out. She selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her vice president.

Popular Vote vs. Electoral College:

One important thing to understand about the election is that the winner is not the person who gets the most overall votes. Instead, each state has an amount of electoral college votes based on population. There are a total of 538 votes that are up for grabs. The winner of the election is the candidate that gets 270 votes or more. Whichever candidate has the highest number of votes is awarded all of its electoral college votes.
Most states lean heavily towards one party or the other. They are the “red states” and “blue states”. So really, many of the candidates’ campaigns are focused on the seven states where either of them could win, these are called the swing states. It is very possible for a candidate to win the popular vote, like Hillary Clinton did in 2016, but still be defeated.

When will we know who has won the election?:

Often, the winner is declared on the night of the election. However, this isn’t always the case as seen in 2020 where it took a few days to count all the votes.
After the president is elected, there will be a period of transition. This period gives the new administration time to appoint cabinet ministers and make plans for the new term. Then, the president is sworn into office in January in the inauguration.

How will the election results effect you?:

Overall, the election will not affect you directly. If you have anxious feelings about the election, try to be at ease. You will still attend school and continue with your everyday activities. It is understandable to be upset if your preferred candidate loses, but know that life will continue and there could even be some unexpected positives. This is a stressful time for Americans, but it can be less so if we show respect for everyone.