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 > Caucuses > The Primaries > Big Events dilluns, 26 de gener de 2004
The electoral process in the United States began on the 19th of January, and won't conclude until the 2nd of November, the date of the presidential elections. On that day, US voters will elect a president from between two candidates: one from the Republican Party and another from the Democrat Party, the two main political parties in the country.
In principle, this long electoral process affects the Republicans and the Democrats in equal measures. But this year, things are a little different. On the Republican side, there is only one candidate, who is none other than the current President of the United States: George Bush. No other Republican leader will challenge him, which means that Bush will stand for re-election to office. On the Democrats' side, however, there is a whole group of candidates, of which only one will remain at the end to fight Bush for the presidency. For ten months (from now until November), Democrat voters will elect their candidate to govern the most powerful country in the world. So how is this election held? Well, by way of a system in which the citizens of the more than fifty states that make up the United States choose their preferred candidate. The total votes are then counted (taking into account the results of all the states), which then gives the party candidate. Below, we shall try to get to the bottom of this complex and unusual electoral system.
 
Caucuses)
+ The first caucuses are held in the state of Iowa.
Over the last few days, you have probably heard talk of something called caucuses. 'Caucus' is an American Indian word meaning 'a meeting of tribal chiefs', and nowadays it refers to the many local assemblies that are taking place in different states all over the US to elect the candidate to the elections. In these assemblies, that can be held in public buildings or even in private homes, the voters (this year, only Democrats) that attend, express their support for a particular candidate, but without actually voting. The people present who support the same candidate form groups, and at the end, the number of people per group is counted. As you can see, it is a rather curious system, and also a very old one, because it was used for the first time in 1846.
The Primaries)
+ Some states use the electoral system of primaries.
Traditionally, the first caucuses are held in Iowa, which explains the importance of this state in the US electoral process. In Iowa, one can begin to see which are the aspiring candidates best positioned to win nomination. But not all the states hold caucuses. Some states use another electoral system: the primaries. Unlike the caucuses, in primaries the voters choose their candidate by secret voting. The first primaries will be held in the state of New Hampshire on the 27th of January, and they will be just as decisive, or even more so, than the caucuses of Iowa.
Big Events
+ Traditional symbols: the Republican elephant and the Democrat donkey.
In this year's long presidential race in the US, there are a few key dates. The first of them is the 3rd of February, the so-called 'Super Seven', when primaries or caucuses will be held in eight US states. But the date that will really decide the fate of the candidates is the 2nd of March, which has come to be known as 'Super Tuesday'. On that day, voting will take place in the most influential states of the country, such as California, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The candidates will be finally announced at the Democrat and Republican party conventions. The Democrat convention will be held at the end of July in Boston (Massachusetts), while the Republican convention will take place in New York (city of the state of the same name) at the beginning of September, just two months before the great electoral contest of the 2nd of November, which will decide the name of the new President of the United States.
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Investiga
> Set aspirants es disputen la candidatura del Partit Demòcrata a les eleccions presidencials.
> Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), l'únic president dels Estats Units dues vegades reelegit.
> Tomb virtual per la Casa Blanca, residència oficial del president del país.
> Feu aquest text, que posarà a prova els vostres coneixements sobre la presidència dels Estats Units.
I també...
- La polèmica va entelar les eleccions del 2000.
- George Bush, l'únic candidat republicà.
- Com s'elegeix un president dels Estats Units?
- Diferències entre 'caucus' i 'primàries'.
- Els vuit aspirants a la presidència.
- Howard Dean, el demòcrata més contrari a la guerra de l'Irac.
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