TheU.SPresidentialElection

美國總統競選Outline:Ⅰ:Introduction（說明）(thetraditionofelectionandthequalificationofbeingapresident)（選舉傳統及作為總統的資格）Ⅱ:Theprocessoftheelection（選舉過程）Ⅲ:Comment（注釋）Thetraditionofelection：

Americanselecttheirpresidentthroughacombinationofcustom,statelaw,andconstitutionalrequirementsuchastheElectoralCollegeasspecifiedinArticleⅡ,Sections2and4andAmendment12.furthermore,ArticleⅡ,Section5plusAmendments20and23oftheunitedStatesConstitutionpertaintoelectionofthepresident.美國公民根據慣例、國家法律和憲法的要求，如選舉團規定中的第二條第二及第四款以及修正案12，選舉總統。此外，美國憲法第二條中第五款修正案20及23也涉及到總統選舉。ThequalificationofbeingapresidentApresidentmustbeatleast35yearold總統必須至少35歲

Anaturalborncitizen出生時為美國公民AresidentoftheUnitedStatesatleast14years居住合眾國境內至少十四年

Thepresidentiselectedforafouryearterm,andanyindividualislimitedservingtwoconsecutivetermsaspresident.

總統任期四年，且任何人只能連任兩屆總統(exception:FranklinDelanoRooseveltwaselectedtofourconsecutiveterms)例外：富蘭克林羅斯福當選了四屆Theprocessoftheelection：Thefirststage:Nominationofcandidates第一階段：候選人提名

Thesecondstage:Thecampaigning第二階段：競選

Thethirdstage:Appointmentofelectorstheelectoralcollege第三階段：選舉人團委任選舉人Thefourthstage:Electorscastingvotes第四階段：選民投票

2012總統競選日程Thefirststage:Themajorpartiesholdconventions(nationalpartyconventionsheldinlateJulyorAugust)tochoosecandidatesforPresidentandVicePresidentandtodeterminetheparties’platforms.政黨舉行大會（黨的全國會議在七月下旬或八月舉行）選擇總統和副總統候選人并且確定政黨綱領Thesecondstage:Oncethepresidentialcandidatesofthemajorpartiesareselected,thegeneralelectioncomestothesecondstage,thecampaigningstage.一旦主要政黨的總統候選人選舉完畢，一般競選就進入第二階段：競選階段。totravelalloverthecountry,makingcountlessspeechesanddebatewiththeotherparty’spresidentialcandidateonTV到全國各地做無數演講，并在電視上與其他政黨總統候選人做辯論。tomakeuseoftheothercandidate’sdisadvantages利用其它候選人的弱點tocollectinformationaboutthecampaignplanoftheotherparty’scandidate收集其它政黨候選人的活動計劃Thethirdstage:Appointmentofelectors:ElectionDay.TheUnitedStatesConstitutionprovidesthateachstate“shallappoint”elector(whomakeuptheElectoralCollege)forPresidentandVicePresidentinthemannerdirectedbyitsstatelegislature,onthedaywhichmaybethe“TuesdaynextafterthefirstMondayinNovember”eachfourthyear.委任選舉人：選舉日。美國憲法規定各州應通過由州議會指定的方式指定總統及副總統的選舉人（組成選舉團的人），這一天可能是每四年的“十一月第一個星期一之后的下個星期二”。

Thethirdstage:ThoughonElectionDay,voterscasttheirvoterstopresidentialcandidates,whattheyactuallychoosearepresidentialelectors.ThepopularvoteswilldeterminewhichpartywillmakeuptheElectoralCollege.通過選舉日，選民將票投給總統選舉人，事實上就相當于選擇了總統競選者。主流選票將決定選舉團由哪一政黨組成。Thefourthstage:Althoughtheresultsisalreadyknown,theelectorstillmeetintheirstatecapitalsandcasttheirvotesforPresidentandVicePresidentonthe1stMon.afterthe2ndWed.inDec.theyvoteverystrictly.TheDemocraticelectorsvotefortheDemocraticpresidentialcandidatesandtheRepublicanones.WhenthenewcongressassembledonJan.6,theelectoralvotesareformallycountedinajointsessionofthetwohousesandthePresidentoftheSenateannouncesthe“stateofvote”.Thenthefourthstagecomestoitsend.盡管結果已知，選舉人仍然根據程序和時間進行嚴格的投票。民主黨和共和黨選舉人分別投票給各自候選人。在一月六日，新的國會集合，選舉人的選票在兩院的聯席會議正式統計并由參議院議長宣布“投票”的狀態。然后第四階段結束。

Comment:

Americanpresidentialelectionisanationalactivity.TheConstitutiongiveseveryAmericantherighttovoteaslongasheorshereachestheageofeighteen.Therefore,