Choosing a President: First Steps - Voter Registration

November 8 The 2016 of the most powerful country in the world will elect a new president.

The “Forum” advises all Russian-speaking Americans to vote, because if we do not vote, others will decide for us.

With this article we open the cycle of materials on how to understand the intricacies of the US electoral system.

The first article in the series contains a brief background; instructions on how to become a registered voter and check that you are on the list; where voting will take place; why you should decide now whether you are a democrat or a republican.

We used only official materials. US State Department websiteas well as a bit of “Wikipedia”(English).

How are the elections arranged?

The President of the United States is elected to a four-year term through indirect elections. Voters vote for electors, and they then vote for the president. There are 538 people in the Electoral College. The larger a state's population, the more electors it represents.

Usually, senators and congressmen, popular politicians and celebrities close to the presidential candidate act as electors.

Before the national presidential elections on November 8, 2016, the main American parties - the Democratic and Republican - are still choosing who will become a single candidate from the party. This is done in different states at different times, during popular elections - primaries, or at more behind-the-scenes party conferences - caucuses.

The first caucuses and primaries will be held at the beginning of 2016 in Iowa and New Hampshire.

March 1, 2016 will be “Super Tuesday” - in 24 states the Democratic and Republican parties will hold caucuses and primaries. Usually those who win on this day become party candidates.

In the national elections of November 8, 2016 will already be running one Republican and Democratic candidate each. Now obvious leader among the democrats is Hillary Clinton. I Republicans — there is intrigue, so far the favorite — Donald Trumpcome on his heels Marco Rubio и Ben carson.

Can I vote?

To vote, you must be a U.S. citizen and a resident of a state, and you must be at least 18 years old. How long varies by state. For example, in New York, you must live at your current address for at least 30 days before Election Day.

It is impossible to vote to those who are recognized as incapable or in jail. Exception: in Maine and Vermont, prisoners can vote.

Am I on the list of registered voters?

You need to find out if you are registered to vote. It is quite possible that yes - for example, if you took a driver's license as an American citizen. You can check it on the website canivote.org or on the site Election Assistance Commissions. If you changed your address or name, then you need to register again.

What if I am not on the lists?

You need to register yourself.

Important with this don't be late — The application deadline ends two to four weeks before the election, depending on the state. Please note that many state primaries will be held in February and March, so do not delay in registering if you want to participate in the selection of party candidates.

Leche just register online. You can use this service in almost all states, including New York, Florida, California, Washington. View the full list of states you can here.

You need to go to this one. broker Federal Election Commission, choose your state and fill out a special registration form.

I would need an identity card, for example rights (for those who vote for the first time, you will need two documents). You must also specify the address and social security number. Filling Guide inside the form. Note the different requirements for each state. For example, here is the registration form in state of new york.

The filled paper must be printed out and mailed, the address (in each state its own) is listed below on the form.

It can be attributed personally - forms are accepted at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the registration office of your state, even at military registration and enlistment offices.

A confirmation, “voter card” will come to you in the mail within a few weeks. Examine it, find out what your constituency is. In most states, on election day you will be given a vote without this card (the main thing is to be on the list of registered voters), but it doesn’t hurt to take it to the polling station just in case.

If you are a soldier or are abroad, you need to fill in completely for registration another form.

Is it necessary to determine immediately whether you are a Democrat or a Republican?

In the application for registration will be a question about your party affiliation. There you can specify "Democrat" or "Republican" (there are also other, exotic parties such as green).

If you want to register without specifying a party affiliation, simply tick the box with the text “I don’t want to register my party affiliation”.

However, in this case, you are most likely not allowed to participate in the primaries.

You can join the party online - to the Democrats on this site, to the Republicans - to This.

Where is my polling station?

Polling stations in the United States can be found anywhere—at a post office, a school, a restaurant, or even in someone’s private home. Find out in advance where your polling station is located and double-check the information a few days before the election itself.

You can call the hotline (it is listed on the registration form) or personally come to the office your state election commission. But the easiest way is to look at the website - vote411.org. At your address, the system will give out contacts to the polling station and even show the registration deadlines as a voter.

Where can I get information in Russian?

Despite the large number of Russian-speaking voters in the United States, there is no official nationwide guide on voting in Russian (but there is in Vietnamese). However, some states still went the extra mile - for example, Russian-speaking residents of New York are lucky, all the information is available for them here.

Is there any way to practice?

Yes. You can ask ballot sample on the official website of the election commission. Then at the polling station you will not get lost.