Question

Select the correct answer from each drop-down menu. A presidential election happens every _____ years. The president is elected by _____.

1) four, the people
2) two, the electoral college
3) six, the Congress
4) eight, the Supreme Court

Answer 1

The correct option is (1). A presidential election happens every four years and the president is elected by the Electoral College, not directly by the popular vote of the people.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the United States, the president serves a four-year term. While U.S. citizens cast their votes for president, it is actually the Electoral College that officially elects the president and vice president.

This indirect election process involves electors, who are typically pledged to vote for the winning candidate of their respective state's popular vote.

Each state has a set number of electors equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress, with a minimum of three electors for the least populated states, and DC also having three electors.

The majority of states use a 'winner-takes-all' system where the candidate who wins the popular vote in the state gets all the electoral votes from that state, with the exception of Nebraska and Maine, which allocate electoral votes in part by congressional district results.