The Us Presidential Election Process

Gerrymandering - Explained

As most of you are aware, the general election are controlled by each state and it is the state that would provide the final results certified by the respective state to the Congress. They are responsible for counting the votes and announce the results. Each State would have their own rules. For example, Georgia has a rule that if one candidate don't get over 51% of the total votes, there will be a run off election and until one candidate gets over 51% of the total votes, no one will be declared as a winner. The election in each state will be certified by the Secretary of State as per the rules framed by each state.

However, the states have rights to determine the map of a district. Sometimes instead of dividing these districts based on natural maps, often, states can redraw the maps to cover more of votes for a particular party knowing that certain towns are likely to vote for a particular party. This process is called redistricting the map which was widely contested in the court. The Supreme Court refused to interfere in this process as the States have their rights to redistrct any district within its jurisdiction.
When maps of this districts are willingly manipulated to change the election results in favor of one particular party knowing some cities in that map is likely to vote in favor of another, this process of called "Gerrymandering".

 

Dear SLN Sir,

You are right. They have an open system of funding political parties but there are limits fixed for each individual and corporations. Supreme Court approved the method of creating Political Action Committees controlled by individual or corporation supporting specific political party. But the funds will have to be controlled by the initiator and not the specific political party.

It is difficult to say who would support India. Even though, the former US Presidents like Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barrack Obama genuinely improved relationship with India, now things are not the same as in those days. I still don't understand what strategic relationship with India means. Is it economic development or military alliance or a play to have a democratic country in Asia as an alternative to China's strength in Asia? But I always feel the US politics always has its own Agenda and the US politicans don't do anything without having a benefit for the US.

 

In the US, individual states are responsible for conducting the elections and submit the results of the elections to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Each state may have its own rule with reference to polling booths, type of ballots, counting methods, location of counting, etc. but the final results are generally announced by the Secretary of State in public domain as well as to the FEC. In case of Presidential election, the counting of electoral votes normally happens on January 6th in the Congress. Generally, the Electoral votes must be received by the President of the Senate and the Archivist no later than the fourth Wednesday in December. For example, for this Presidential election, the last date for submission of electoral votes is December 25th (Christmas Day) and tthe electoral college votes will be counted on January 6th, 2025.

There is an interesting development that had happened last week in the State of Georgia. Despite so many objections, 3 out of 5 electoral board members have passed a rule that Georgia need not submit the results of the election by any deadline date and will have rights to order recount manually, if there is reasonable suspicion about the results. There are 11 million voters in Georgia and for physical counting of votes, it may take weeks and enormous amount of poll workers and supervisors need to be appointed to do this tedious job. Besides, Georgia doesn't submit the election results by December 25th, the electoral college counting can not take place on January 6th. If electoral votes are not counted on January 6th, the elected President can't be sworn in on January 20th, 2025. President Biden is elected to be in the office until January 20th, 2025 and the new President is not sworn in by this date, it will create constitutional crisis. Hopefully, the courts will intervene in this change of rule to work with the rules laid down within the US Constitution.

Even if all the electoral votes were sent to Congress, if the Congress refuses to count the electoral college on January 6th, it may also create a constitutional crisis. Last time, there was a lot of pressure given to the Chairman of the Senate (Vice President Mike Pence) and luckily, he was advised by his counsel that he is only eligible to conduct the proceeding to count and not reject the electoral college votes.

Therefore, if former President Trump is not elected in November 2024 election, there is a possibility that the election results will be contested beyond January 2025. Luckily, the Democratic Party had set up precedence to abide by the election results submitted by the states in the past and abide by the decision of the Supreme Court.