The U.S. presidential election is an indirect process, unlike many other republics, where citizens vote for members of the Electoral College rather than directly for the President and Vice President. To win, a candidate must secure an absolute majority of 270 out of 538 electoral votes, a system primarily outlined in the U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 1, and the Twelfth and Twenty-third Amendments). Each state's electoral votes are determined by its total congressional representation, plus three for Washington, D.C. (since 1961), with nearly all states awarding all their electors to the statewide popular vote winner via a "winner-takes-all" rule.

This unique method has led to rare but significant outcomes, such as in 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016, where the Electoral College winner did not also secure the national popular vote. Should no candidate reach the 270-vote threshold, the House of Representatives decides the presidency, while the Senate elects the vice president. These elections occur every four years.