Eduardo Said:

Can you explain the voting system in America....to someone from the UK?

We Answered:

I'm going to assume you're inquiring about the presidential 'elections' currently dominating the media.

Here's the nutshell version of how & why.

Each state conducts an opinion poll (primary 'election') for the perspective candidates. Because the democratic (DNC) and republican (GOP) parties are assumedly trying to figure out who their members would like to see run for the presidency in the general election, USUALLY only registered members of a given party can vote for any of that party's candidates (this varies from state to state). Once the primaries are done, the DNC and GOP organizations hold a committee meeting to determine which candidate they will endorse. This is done first by state, then nationally.

Now here's the tricky part; the DNC & GOP have different rules that determine who gets the endorsement of their parties. In the case of the DNC, the popular vote in the straw poll primaries means nothing. The committee members (delegates) attending the state & national conventions can vote for whichever candidate they wish. In the case of the GOP the delegates are bound by different rules from state to state. In some states, the delegates must vote for the winner of the primary, in some they may vote for whomever they choose. It's complicated, and to figure it out you really would have to read thru all 50 states GOP rules.

So, what's it all mean? The reality is that our long primary campaigns were originally intended to allow the public to get to know the candidates so they could make an informed decision. Or at least, that is what the public believes. The truth is, as you can see from the 3 candidates that get 99% of the airtime & press, they're all for big corporations and the long primary 'season' is simply a big PR excercise to convince the public to vote for one of them.

Real choices, candidates that would work for the people of America, get no voice in the press and when they do, it's most often disparaging. Candidates like republican Ron Paul, a true conservative that would shrink government, end the war, lower taxes, and who has been an advocate of the ideals of the republican party get pused aside. Candidates like Dennis Kucinich, a democrat, who constantly work for the good of the people, are ignored and minimized.

Everett Said:

How to win the Student Council Elections?

We Answered:

by quarreling