Feature Article

U.S. 2008 ELECTIONS: A Pre-Election Briefing for the Global Observer...

Links to further reading...

Description of Electoral System:

(courtesy of IFES election guide)

The President is elected by electoral college to serve a 4-year term. In the Senate 100 members are elected
by simple majority to serve 6-year terms. In the House of Representatives
435 members are elected by simple majority to serve 2-year terms. One-third of Senate seats are up for elections every two years.

Electoral Systems Snapshot

(Courtesy of International IDEA)

*Click on links for definitions

WANT MORE ELECTION RELATED STATS FOR UNITED STATES? Go to "election databases" on the left-hand menu of this page OR comparative data on the right-hand menu and choose your area of interest.

Politics in the United States

(courtesy of wikipedia)

The United States 2008 presidential election was held on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Senator John McCain from Arizona had accepted the nomination as the candidate for the Republican Party, and Senator Barack Obama was the Democratic candidate. Barack Obama won the number of electors necessary to be elected President. He is the president-elect, and will be inaugurated on January 20, 2009.

Obama received about 52.7 percent of the votes cast (almost 67 million votes), winning a majority of the popular vote. The 2008 election was the first time in U.S. history that an African American was elected President.

In the United States Congress, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives were up for election. As of November 8, 2008, the Democrats had gained 20 seats, with 6 seats still undecided. In the Senate, the 33 seats in Class 2 were up for election, plus special Senate elections in Mississippi and Wyoming. As of November 8, the Democrats had picked up 6 seats, leading to a 57 margin, with 3 undecideds.

Upcoming presidential election: What body would conduct a Presidential recount in each state? Would it be bipartisan, non-partisan, or something else? Click here for an interactive map of all states.