US Presidential election process

The election procedure for the President of the United States of America, the most powerful and oldest democracy in the world is not as simple as it appears.  

The requirements for the presidential candidate as stated in Constitution are:

• An individual should be at least 35 years old.
• The individual must be a natural-born citizen of the United States of America (A Natural Born Citizen is someone born with US citizenship. It includes any child born “in” the United States, the children of United States citizens born abroad, and those born abroad of one citizen parent).
• He/she must be a resident of the United States for 14 years.

The election procedure involves four steps as the process takes between 9-10 months to complete.

Inauguration

The winner is announced on election night in November after the voting. But the actual Electoral College voting takes place in mid-December when the electors meet in their states. 

After electoral college voting in December, the president-elect and vice-president-elect are sworn in and take office.

Inauguration Day happens at the US Capitol building in Washington, DC every four years on 20th January (or 21st January if 20th January is a Sunday).