Candidates for President and State Elected Offices
Millions of Californians will vote in the November 4, 2008 General Election to help elect the next President of the United States, their U.S. Representative in Congress and their State Assemblyperson. Half will have the opportunity to vote for their State Senator as well. Some Californians will asl be voting on candidates for local offices, such as Mayor, City Councilperson or Fire Chief.
How We Elect the President
Electing a President can be thought of as 51 separate elections (one for each state plus Washington, D.C.).
To win a state’s election, the candidate must win the majority of the people’s votes. This is called winning the popular vote.
The candidate winning a state’s popular vote wins all of that state’s electoral votes. Each state has a number of electoral votes equal to the number of its members in Congress. California has 55 electoral votes (53 U.S. Representatives and 2 U.S. Senators). To see how many electoral votes each state has, see the map below.
Electoral votes are caste by “electors” in the “Electoral College.” The Electoral College is not a school but rather a gathering of the electors. The electors meet in December after the November General Election to officially cast their votes.
To win the Presidency, a candidate must win 270 electoral votes out of the total 538. The winner will take office in January 2009.
Your vote for President really matters because just a few people’s votes can decide if a candidate wins all of a state’s electoral votes. Elections for President have been very close, and each state makes a big difference in who becomes the next President of the United States.
Candidates for President The candidates for President and Vice President run together as a pair or “ticket.” You vote for a pair of candidates. They are elected for a four-year term.
The President:
Oversees most federal government departments
Approves or rejects new laws
Presents a budget each year to Congress
Is in charge of foreign policy and the armed forces
The Vice President:
Becomes President if something happens to the President
Runs meetings of the U.S. Senate
Attends important events for the President
Has other duties chosen by the President
We asked the candidates for President to tell us why they are running, their qualifications and their top priorities. The order of the candidates is based on the size of their political party in California.
Democratic - Barack Obama
Republican - John McCain
American Independent - Alan Keyes
Green - Cynthia McKinney
Libertarian - Bob Barr
Peace and Freedom - Ralph Nader
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Democratic Party
Barack Obama Running Mate - Joe Biden
U.S. Senator
Age: 47
Lives in: Chicago, Illinois
http://www.barackobama.com/
Statement: Now is the time for our country to come together and bring real change to Washington and bring an end to the policies of the Bush Administration. I am in this race so that we, as a unified nation, can be a beacon of hope for the world again.
Top Priorities:
- End the war in Iraq and refocus our efforts in Afghanistan.
- Sign universal health care legislation by the end of my first term.
- Put America on the path to a clean and secure energy future.
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Republican Party
John McCain Running Mate - Sarah Palin
U.S. Senator
Age: 72
Lives in: Phoenix, Arizona
http://www.johnmccain.com/
Statement: I’m ready to be Commander-in-Chief from day one. My experience in the military and Congress gives me the national security credentials to take on the Democratic nominee. I’m a consistent conservative, and I will work to restore trust in government.
Top Priorities:
- Fighting the war against Islamic extremism.
- Restoring trust in government I’ll start by ending wasteful government spending.
- Reforming our health care system and Social Security.
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American Independent Party
correction made 9.17.08
Alan Keyes Running Mate - Wiley Drake
Conservative Activist
58
Darnestown, Maryland
http://www.alankeyes.com/
Statement: I'm running for president because I think this republic is collapsing. Self-government is being replaced by a system which will be dominated by foreign powers, globalist institutions, and self-seeking corporations, instead of having government of, by, and for the people.
Top Priorities:
- Restore our moral sovereignty by ending legal abortion.
- Restore our physical sovereignty by securing our nation's borders.
- Restore our Constitutional sovereignty by removing judges who dictate, rather than apply, the law.
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Green Party
Cynthia McKinney Running Mate - Rosa Clemente
Public Speaker
53
Los Angeles, CA
http://www.runcynthiarun.org/
Statement: I have served 4 years in the Georgia Legislature and 12 years in the United States Congress. She authored legislation to impeach George Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleezza Rice. She demanded 9/11 Truth and extended Agent Orange benefits 25 years.
Top Priorities:
- Bring troops home from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the more than 100 bases around the world at which they are stationed.
- Department of State as Department of Peace.
- Submit a budget emphasizing human needs.
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Libertarian Party
Bob Barr Running Mate - Wayne Root
Attorney
59
Residence: Smyrna, GA
http://www.bobbarr2008.com/
Statement: I have experience working both inside and outside of government to cut government spending and maximize individual liberty, which has given me the qualifications, the passion, and the commitment to work for the American people's interest not the government's.
Top Priorities:
- Dramatically reduce government spending.
- Repeal legislation, like the Patriot Act, that violate our civil liberties.
- Return power to the people by decreasing the size and scope of the federal
government.
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Peace and Freedom Party
Ralph Nader Running Mate - Matt Gonzales
Consumer Advocate
74
Winsted, CT
http://www.votenader.org/
Statement: I was instrumental in passing the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Freedom of Information Act. I helped to create the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). I founded hundreds of civic organizations, including Public Citizen.
Top Priorities:
- Establish a single-payer universal healthcare for all.
- End attacks on our civil liberties, like the Patriot Act, and warrantless domestic spying.
- End the war in Iraq with a rapid, responsible, complete corporate and military withdrawal.
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State Elected Offices The following gives you a brief overview of the state elected offices that will be on the November 4, 2008 General Election ballot.
U.S. House of Representatives - elected for two-year term
- help make federal laws
- help shape the federal budget
- work to help people in their district
- help make state laws
- help shape the state budget
- work to help people in their district
Find out who your elected representatives are right now.
To learn more about state and local candidates, please visit this nonpartisan website, another service of the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund, http://www.smartvoter.org/.
