The Electoral System

Two parties dominate the political arena in the United States:

the Democrats and the Republicans

Each party runs its own primary election, in which candidates within the party compete with each other for the party's nomination. After the primaries the winners from each party's primary face off in the general election.

Citizens vote in the general election, and the results are tallied by state. Following the general election, electors from each state cast their state's vote in the Electoral College. The candidate who wins the greatest number of electoral votes becomes president.

While there are many voters who consider themselves Democrats or Republicans, many voters are independent.

Candidates rely heavily on opinion polls to see what voters think and try to tailor their messages to appeal to "swing" voters

(Bonus) A swing voter or floating voter is a voter who may not be affiliated with a particular political party or who will vote across party lines.