US Presidential Election 2024: Electoral College, odds, dates, candidates and vice presidential picks

The 2024 US presidential election is just weeks away, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump vying for the presidency.

Read below for all you need to know about how the US presidential election works, from primaries and caucuses, to the Electoral College and inauguration.

US election odds

The betting has been extremely tight between Harris and Trump, with Harris flitting between 10/11 and 4/5, and Trump shifting back and forth from Evs and 10/11.

Who are the vice president picks?

JD Vance was announced as the Republican's vice presidential nominee; a move that quickly went down badly amongst voters. Vance previously referred to Trump as 'America's Hitler', referring to himself as a 'never Trump guy', but has changed positions more recently.

While it's hard to pinpoint the exact cause in the shift in polling, Vance's announcement as running mate occurring around the same time as Biden leaving the race has coincided with a significant uptick in polling for the Democrats, with Harris overtaking Trump after his appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists.

Harris, meanwhile, has selected Governor of Minnesota Tim Walz, who's thus far proven to be a popular pick. The 60-year-old has taken up liberal positions of a number of issues, including gun control, abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights.

What's the difference between Democrats and Republicans?

Generally speaking, the Democrats are considered to be more liberal, with the Republicans more conservative. If looking for UK equivalents, the Democractic Party shares similarities with the Labour Party, while the Republican Party is more closely aligned with the Conservatives.

The Democrats typically support a larger state, meaning more increase in public spending for things such as welfare programmes, while the Republicans prefer a smaller state.

On social issues, the Democrats are much more liberal, typically favouring greater LGBTQ+ rights, greater civil rights for minorities and more relaxed abortion laws. Conversely, the Republicans are typically supported by more Christian fundamentalists, who generally oppose more LGBTQ+ rights and abortion laws, while taking a more anti-immigration stance and are in favour of more relaxed gun laws.

What is the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is a group of electors who vote for the president and vice president.

While voters vote for who they want to be the next president and vice president, they’re actually voting for an elector who has pledged to vote for a certain president and vice president.

The 538 Electoral College votes are split between the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia with bigger states like California (55 votes) and Texas (38 votes) receiving a higher number of votes than smaller states such as Vermont and Detroit (three votes each). Those votes are then tallied, with the candidate receiving the most Electoral College votes winning the presidency.

Critics of the Electoral College system say that it is unfairly weighted – states with the smallest populations are guaranteed three electoral votes – and that swing states are overly targeted. Nine states (Alaska, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) have voted Republican in 14 consecutive elections, while Hawaii and New York have voted Democrat in nine consecutive elections. 

Swing states tend to be disproportionately targeted for campaigning, with Ohio voting for the winning candidate in 14 straight elections from 1964 to 2020 holding the longest bellwether streak until the 2020 election. Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania now hold the longest bellwether streaks with four each.

When is the 2024 US election?

The 2024 presidential election will be held on 5th November 2024. 

When is the new president sworn in?

The new president will be sworn in on Inauguration Day on 20th January 2025.

Can Donald Trump run for president?

Despite his recent felony conviction, Donald Trump can still run for president (though the conviction would mean he couldn't vote in his home state of Florida, but could vote in New York).

Trump was disqualified from running as a presidential candidate in Maine and Colorado, though the US Supreme Court overruled the decision, declaring that only Congress, not states, could rule a candidate ineligible to run.