Haven’t You Filed Form N-400 Yet To Be Able To Vote In Us Presidential Election?

By Author: Nancy Mervin
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In the United States every four years the President and Vice-President are elected. Native-born citizens of the United States who are residents of the U.S. for at least 14 years can run in the presidential election and they must be at least 35 years of age. For the third term as President same person cannot be elected. Each candidate for President runs along with a candidate for Vice-President on a "ticket" in the general election. Voters can't choose a presidential candidate from one ticket and a vice-presidential candidate from another ticket, they must select one ticket to vote for.

Details about Election process

As an indirect vote the election of the President and Vice President of the US happens in which citizens cast ballots for a slate of members of the U.S. Electoral College. In turn these electors directly elect the President and Vice President. Quadrennially presidential elections occur and the count began with the year 1792. The Tuesday between November 2 and 8, coinciding with the general elections of various other federal, states and local races is the Election Day. On November 4 the ...
... most recent presidential election took place in 2008. The next is to be held on November 6 of this year 2012.

A combination of both federal and state laws regulates the process. Equal to the number of Senators and Representatives together Electoral College electors are allotted in each state in the U.S. Congress. Equal to the number held by the smallest state Washington, D.C. is additionally given a number of electors. In the Electoral College U.S. territories are not represented.

Eligibility to vote

You must be a US citizen to be eligible to vote. If not a citizen by birth you should have naturalized by filing Form N-400. Some states allow even 17-year-olds to vote but in most states you must be 18 years old of age to vote. The residency requirement to vote also differs between different states. Contact your state election office for more information about state-specific requirements and voter eligibility.

Using the National Mail Voter Registration Form you can register by mail to vote in almost all states. American Samoa, Guam, North Dakota, Wyoming, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands do not accept the National Mail Voter Registration Form. Only as a request for an absentee voter mail-in registration form New Hampshire accepts it. Eligible voters can check with their state election office to find out how to register to vote if you live in one of these states. To update your registration if you changed your name or your address has changed, or to register with a political party you may also use the National Mail Voter Registration Form.

To register to vote in person voters can apply at least 30 days before Election Day at the following public facilities

1. State or local voter election or/and registration offices
2. Motor vehicles department
3. Agencies for public assistance
4. Centers for Armed services recruitment
5. For service of people with disabilities there are state-funded programs
6. Whichever public facility is designated as a voter registration agency in a state

Process of electing president

Each state legislature is allowed to designate a way of choosing electors under the U.S. Constitution. By the various states the popular vote on Election Day is conducted and not directly by the federal government. The electors can vote for anyone after choosing the person but they vote for their designated candidates. The votes of electors are certified by Congress in early January. The final judge of the electors is the Congress.

The states and the political parties develop the nomination process and never specified in the Constitution. In an indirect election process voter cast ballots for a slate of delegates to a political party's nominating gathering and they in turn elect their party's presidential nominee.

If no presidential candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes, which rarely happens, the House of Representatives choose instead. Each state delegation in Congress casts one vote from the top three presidential vote winners in the Electoral College. From the top two vice-presidential vote-getters the Vice-President would be chosen by the Senate.