Voting in the U.S.: A Simple Conundrum

Talking about U.S. national elections is both correct and incorrect.

The traditional parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, are actually coalitions that include at least one political party in each state that aligns with them, and each state is protective of its sovereignty.

This means that although there are just over 244 million Americans eligible to vote, which is not mandatory, those interested in voting must register in the state where they reside, even if they live abroad, and declare themselves as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents.

The election of the President on November 5 is national, but the voting is state-based: each state organizes its own election, with its own electoral commission (which coordinates and communicates with the federal level), and although the rules are generally the same, there are variations.

For example, in the voting method, whether by electric or electronic (computerized) machine, which has led to controversies over the validity or reliability of the system, especially in the case of physical votes: in 2000, the election hinged on interpreting whether a vote was properly or improperly punched, and the decision ended up in the hands of the Supreme Court.

In 2020, the controversy revolved around alleged, and never proven, irregularities in the electronic machines.

On November 5, each state will actually elect a block of people committed to one party or the other, equivalent to the number of its legislators in the federal Congress, who will vote on December 17, when the Electoral College will formally decide the election. At least 270 votes are needed to secure a majority of the 538 electoral votes.

Unregistered people do not vote. In 2022, in the midterm elections (legislative and gubernatorial), there were 161.42 million people registered to vote, a decrease from 2020 when there were 168.31 million voters.

That participation was approximately 60 to 66 percent, considered a high average in the United States. The decrease is normal, given that presidential elections attract much more attention than midterm ones.

Among voter rights is the option to vote early, either by mail or online, in the same state where they registered. This advantage is used by travelers or people living abroad.

Normally, this process wasn’t controversial until the 2024 elections when Donald Trump and his campaign claimed irregularities caused them to lose states like Georgia and Arizona, where the margin was just tenths of a percentage point.

On November 5, voters must go to designated polling places, which have also become a point of debate: some states in the southern and central U.S. have been accused of placing polling centers in hard-to-reach locations for poor or minority voters.

For voters abroad, U.S. embassies in their country can help in some cases, but usually, they do not intervene, and the entire remote registration and voting process is handled by mail.

Each state has its own rules. In all, the minimum age is 18, although some states allow registration for those who will turn 18 on election day.

Only U.S. citizens by birth or naturalization can elect federal officials, and there are cases where non-citizens are allowed to vote in local elections.

Hence the other controversy: the possibility that foreigners, legal or undocumented, may vote improperly. In summary, a simple conundrum.

By José Carreño Figueras
Contributor
jose.carreno@elheraldodemexico.com
@CARRENOJOSE1