US Election 2024: As the United States heads to the polls on November 5 for the 2024 presidential election, a wide array of factors, terms, and concepts will shape the race. From key political terms like “Electoral College” and “Battleground States” to the impact of campaign strategies, voter demographics, and historical trends, each element plays a crucial part in the outcome.
Here’s a comprehensive glossary covering the essential ideas driving the U.S. presidential election process from A to Z.
Voters in nine states are deciding whether to amend their state constitutions to guarantee a right to abortion, with these ballot measures expected to drive turnout in several critical races. Passing amendments in states like Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota could potentially overturn existing bans or restrictions, restoring access to abortion for more than 7 million women of childbearing age living in these areas, the Associated Press reported.
A May 2024 poll conducted by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that 63 per cent of Americans believed abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
Trump first used the term “Black jobs” during his June debate with Joe Biden, claiming that immigrants were taking jobs away from Black Americans. He repeated the phrase at an August event hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists.
Since then, the term has been widely mocked.
Gymnast Simone Biles humorously responded on X (formerly Twitter). “I love my black job” after winning gold at the Paris Olympics. Former First Lady Michelle Obama also took a jab at Trump during the Democratic National Convention, quipping, “Who’s going to tell him that the job he’s currently seeking might just be one of those ‘Black jobs’?”
For Trump, only worthy political adversaries earn nicknames — “Crooked Joe” Biden and “Crazy Nancy” Pelosi, the former Speaker of the House, are favourites. Since Harris became the Democratic presidential candidate, Trump has referred to her as a “communist” and a “Marxist” in speeches and branded her “Comrade Harris” and sometimes “Comrade Kamala” as if she’s a lefty revolutionary.
“Everyone knows she's a Marxist,” Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has repeated loudly and often, referring to his Democratic rival Kamala Harris, who he is hoping to tar with one of the oldest brushes in the US political playbook.
“She's not a Marxist; she's not a communist,” said Thomas Zeitzoff, a professor at American University and a specialist on political violence, AFP reported.
The donkey has become the unofficial yet widely recognized symbol of the Democratic Party. According to Democratic Party historians, the symbol first appeared during Andrew Jackson's 1828 presidential campaign. Labelled a “jackass” by his opponents, Jackson embraced the donkey for his campaign posters, and the symbol stuck.
In the 2024 Presidential elections, Trump said that he gave a profane and conspiracy-laden speech in the swing state ofPennsylvania in which he mused about reporters being shot and labelled Democrats as “demonic.”
“It’s a crooked country,” Trump said. “And we’re going to make it straight. We’re going to make it straight.”
The Electoral College is the collective term for the 538 electors who officially elect the president and vice president of the United States. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of at least 270 electoral votes. Each state is allocated electors equal to the total number of its senators and representatives in Congress.
Also Read: US Election 2024: What if Kamala Harris and Donald Trump fail to secure electoral college majority?
The Electoral College system was established before the formation of political parties and was initially designed to allow electors to act as independent voters. Today, however, electors are generally expected to follow the wishes of the majority of voters in their respective states.
Despite this expectation, there have been instances in recent elections where one or more electors have voted for a candidate other than the one they were pledged to, known as “faithless electors.” Additionally, Nebraska and Maine use a system dividing their electoral votes proportionately to each candidate's popular vote rather than awarding all electors to the statewide winner.
A filibuster is a parliamentary tactic to delay or block a vote on legislation by giving an extended speech or engaging in other forms of prolonged debate. In the U.S. Senate, it takes 60 votes to defeat a filibuster by invoking cloture, which ends debate on a bill and allows a final vote to proceed. In practice today, the minority party can effectively block legislation simply by threatening a filibuster, as the majority party often lacks the 60 votes required to break the filibuster and end debate. This gives the minority party significant leverage in the legislative process.
One of the most infamous instances of a filibuster occurred in 1957, when South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond, a Democrat at the time, gave a 24-hour speech to block a civil rights bill. Despite his efforts, the filibuster was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the legislation.
The ongoing war in Gaza has emerged as a critical concern for Muslim American voters, with many expressing disappointment over how the Democratic government has handled the West Asia crisis. A recent survey by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) in three swing states—Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan—revealed that 61 per cent of Muslim voters view the Gaza conflict as a top policy concern. This issue cuts across gender, age, race, and partisan lines within the Muslim community.
In New York, as well as nationwide, Muslim American voters are increasingly prioritizing the Gaza crisis when making decisions in the upcoming presidential election. The devastating conflict has become a defining issue, potentially reshaping traditional voting patterns among this influential voting bloc.
The House of Representatives is the larger of the two chambers of the U.S. Congress. Together with the Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the federal government. The House consists of 435 members, commonly called Congressmen and Congresswomen, who serve two-year terms.
The Speaker of the House, the presiding officer, is elected by a majority vote of the members at the beginning of each new Congress. In practice, this position is typically held by the leader of the majority party.
Each House member represents approximately half a million citizens within their respective districts. The number of districts allocated to each state is determined every decade through a process known as reapportionment, which is based on the population data from the federal census.
Immigration is expected to be a pivotal issue in the upcoming November election, with many voters expressing concerns over the increase in migrant arrivals during the Biden administration. The surge in immigration has become a focal point for candidates as they seek to address public frustrations and propose solutions to manage border security and immigration policies.
At a recent rally in California, Donald Trump announced, “I will invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target and dismantle every migrant criminal network operating on American soil.” This statement was part of a broader series of rallies where he discussed using the act to take a tougher stance on immigration.
Trump also suggested that the Alien Enemies Act could be employed to eliminate sanctuary cities, which limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Trump has vowed to detain all migrants caught crossing the border illegally or violating immigration laws, promising to end what he describes as "catch and release." At a campaign event earlier this month, he called on Congress to fund an additional 10,000 Border Patrol agents, a significant boost to the current force. In response, Harris criticized Trump for his role in blocking a bipartisan border security bill earlier this year, which would have added 1,300 new Border Patrol agents.
On January 6, 2021, a mob of violent supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., in a bid to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden was declared the winner. The attackers sought to disrupt the certification of the Electoral College votes, a formal procedure where Congress officially counts the votes and declares the winner of the presidential election. The violence led to the deaths of five people, including a Capitol Police officer, and left many others injured.
The insurrectionists believed, fuelled by Trump's false claims of widespread election fraud, that they could prevent Biden from taking office. The rioters breached the Capitol building, vandalizing offices and causing extensive damage.
If she wins the US Presidential Polls, Harris would become the first female president in the United States' 248-year history. She would also be the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold the office. Harris and her campaign have largely played down gender and race, fearing that they might alienate some supporters. But the significance of a Harris win would not be lost on historians.
Born in the United States of an Indian mother and Jamaican father, Harris, the first female vice-president, is also potentially on the verge of becoming the first Asian American president, as well the country’s first female president.
The term “lawfare” refers to the use of legal systems and legal proceedings to undermine or delegitimize a political opponent.
In the context of the 2024 election cycle, Trump supporters have used the term to describe the criminal prosecution of Donald Trump in four separate cases: in the Southern District of Florida, Washington, D.C., New York City, and Fulton County, Georgia. Trump supporters argue that these legal actions are politically motivated attempts to weaken his candidacy and discredit him, framing them as a form of “lawfare” designed to influence the upcoming election.
Southern District of Florida: The federal case related to classified documents that Trump allegedly mishandled after leaving office.
Washington, D.C.: The case concerning the January 6 Capitol insurrection, where Trump is accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 election results.
New York City: The hush money payments case, in which Trump is accused of making payments to silence allegations of an affair during the 2016 campaign.
Fulton County, Georgia: A case related to Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 Georgia election results.
Supporters of Trump argue that these prosecutions are a form of lawfare—using the legal system not just to seek justice but to create political and public pressure.
Ahead of the US Presidential Elections 2024, a recent study from the Media Research Center (MRC) found that presidential race coverage between former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris on ABC, CBS, and NBC News has been the most “lopsided in history.”
According to a report by Fox News, the analysis published just a week before the election shows that Harris has enjoyed 78 per cent positive coverage since July, while Trump has faced 85 per cent negative coverage on these networks.
“The difference in coverage between the two candidates is far greater than in 2016, when both Trump and then-challenger Hillary Clinton received mostly negative coverage (91 per cent negative for Trump, vs. 79 per cent negative for Clinton,)” according to MRC analysts, the report noted.
Throughout most of U.S. history, drug policy has progressively become more restrictive, and thus, it is impacting the U.S. presidential election.
During a campaign rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump warned that, if elected, he would impose tariffs on Mexico and China unless both countries took action to halt the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
“We will immediately stop the drugs pouring across our border,” he said.
Trump said he would impose tariffs on goods from Mexico of 25 per cent and would do the “same thing to China” for exporting fentanyl to Mexico.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris is reiterating her commitment to federally legalising marijuana if elected.
She emphasised her goal of ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed in the emerging marijuana industry, which she views as an avenue for economic growth and job creation.
Harris has long supported marijuana reform, including decriminalization and addressing the disproportionate impact of drug laws on minority communities.
If we look at the history, the first significant federal action came with the Smoking Opium Exclusion Act of 1909, which prohibited the non-medical use, possession, and importation of opium. This was followed by the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914, which placed strict controls on the production, importation, and sale of opiates and cocaine.
The Oval Office is the official workspace and symbolic heart of the presidency of the United States. It is located in the West Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C., and has been the president's main office since the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, though it has served as the central office space for most U.S. presidents since the White House was built.
The proximity of staff, advisors, and officials to the Oval Office is often seen as indicative of their level of influence with the president. Senior aides and advisors are often situated in close proximity to the office, making it easy to quickly advise or inform the president.
In U.S. elections, a purple state refers to a swing state—a state where both major political parties (Democrats and Republicans) have strong support, and the outcome of elections in that state is uncertain or can easily swing between parties. These states are crucial because they can decide the outcome of a presidential election, particularly in close races where the Electoral College is in play.
These states don't consistently vote for one party over the other, and their outcomes in presidential elections are highly contested. In the context of the Electoral College, purple states are considered the key battlegrounds that candidates often focus on during campaigns.
QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory that claims there is a secret "deep state" network of powerful elites, including politicians, celebrities, and high-ranking government officials, who are allegedly working to undermine President Donald Trump and his agenda. This theory suggests that Trump is secretly fighting a cabal of paedophiles and other corrupt figures within the U.S. government, particularly among Democrats. Proponents of QAnon believe that this secret battle is being led by “Q,” an anonymous figure who allegedly has high-level government clearance and that Trump is destined to expose and defeat the deep state in a dramatic event called “The Storm.”
Its influence has led to the election of QAnon-supporting candidates, including Marjorie Taylor Greene and others. The theory has contributed to rising political extremism, disinformation, and divisiveness within American politics.
In US elections, a red state refers to a state that typically supports the Republican Party. These states tend to vote for the Republican candidate in presidential elections and have elected more Republican governors, senators, and representatives.
Red states are generally considered more conservative and may have policies aligned with traditional Republican values, such as limited government intervention, lower taxes, and a strong emphasis on individual liberties and free-market principles.
These are traditionally red states:
Texas
Alabama
Oklahoma
Idaho
Wyoming
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Mississippi
North Dakota
Gun control remains one of the most hotly debated issues in U.S. elections. The Second Amendment protects the right of Americans to bear arms, and any attempts to restrict access to firearms or implement stricter gun laws become a key issue for both parties. Democrats generally support stronger background checks and other restrictions, while Republicans often advocate for protecting the right to own guns.
Trump has repeatedly emphasized that he opposes any efforts to confiscate firearms from law-abiding Americans. This is a key point in his rhetoric, particularly as he has accused Harris and other Democrats of wanting to “confiscate” guns, which he frames as a direct attack on Second Amendment rights.
Kamala Harris' stance on gun ownership and gun control is nuanced, balancing her support for the Second Amendment with a commitment to stricter gun control measures aimed at reducing gun violence.
Total gun-related deaths: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were approximately 48,000 gun-related deaths in 2021, and the number remained high in 2022 and 2023.
Of these, around 24,000 were suicides, and approximately 19,000 were homicides. The remaining deaths include accidental shootings and law enforcement-related shootings.
National security, including counterterrorism, is often a major issue during presidential elections. Candidates may discuss their approach to protecting the U.S. from terrorist attacks, preventing radicalization, and ensuring that U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies are equipped to respond to terrorism threats.
Since 9/11, both Republicans and Democrats have focused on how to handle terrorism, with varying approaches regarding military intervention, intelligence-sharing, and domestic surveillance.
In 2023, the US government allocated substantial funds to counterterrorism efforts across multiple agencies. The Department of Defense (DOD) received over $15 billion for global counterterrorism operations, while the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was allocated approximately $3.5 billion for domestic counterterrorism activities, including border security, counter-radicalization, and infrastructure protection. The FBI's $10 billion annual budget includes a significant portion dedicated to counterterrorism operations, and the CIA and other intelligence agencies received a large share of the $85 billion total allocated to intelligence, with a focus on surveillance, intelligence gathering, and disrupting terrorist threats. Together, these budgets reflect the U.S. government's commitment to tackling terrorism both at home and abroad.
Unemployment is a major economic issue, particularly during recessions or economic downturns. President Joe Biden won the 2020 election amid significant economic challenges, including runaway inflation and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. economy faced a severe downturn in the early months of the pandemic, with the unemployment rate spiking to 14.8 per cent in April 2020, the highest level recorded in over 70 years. By the time of the election in November, the unemployment rate had decreased to 6.8 per cent, but it was still the highest election-season unemployment rate in eight years
Voter suppression refers to actions that discourage or prevent eligible voters from participating in elections. This can include restrictive voter ID laws, voter roll purges, limited polling locations, and other tactics aimed at reducing voter turnout, particularly among marginalized communities.
The issue has been especially prominent in discussions around voting rights in states with a history of racial discrimination.
The history of racial oppression in the United States is deeply intertwined with systems of disenfranchisement, economic exploitation, and violence, particularly targeting Black and brown populations. From the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to the present day, authoritarian, white supremacist forces have consistently used tactics such as voter disenfranchisement, fraud, intimidation, and outright violence to maintain control and extract wealth from marginalized communities.
A wedge issue is a political topic deliberately chosen by a candidate to create division within the opponent’s voter base, often to shift support away from them, according to a report by BBC.
These issues typically tap into deeply held values or social concerns that can divide a political coalition, especially when voters in a party disagree on the issue. An example of this is in the 2004 U.S. election, when Republican candidates supported same-sex marriage bans in several states, aiming to rally socially conservative voters who might otherwise lean Democratic on economic issues. By framing the debate around such polarizing topics, candidates attempt to exploit divisions, hoping to win over a key portion of the electorate.
Xenophobia, or fear and hatred of foreigners, has increasingly influenced US politics, especially in relation to immigration policies. In election cycles, xenophobic rhetoric often becomes a tool to galvanize certain voter bases, particularly around topics like border security, illegal immigration, and refugee resettlement.
According to a report bythe New York Times, in the US, immigrants have been facing heightened harassment and false accusations in various communities, including places like Aurora, Colorado, and Springfield, Ohio. This climate of fear and suspicion has been exacerbated by extreme rhetoric from some Republican politicians and commentators. The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has also contributed to a rise in both Islamophobia and antisemitism, with tensions affecting both right-wing and left-wing communities. The increased divisions and hateful rhetoric have led to a more hostile environment for immigrants, Muslims, and Jewish communities, influencing public discourse and exacerbating social and political polarization.
One significant challenge in US elections is the low turnout among young voters. Despite being a large demographic, young people often face barriers to participating in elections, including a lack of political engagement, distrust in the political system, and logistical obstacles like voter ID requirements or inconvenient polling locations.
According to a report by Statista, in the 2020 presidential election, about 55 percent of voters aged between 18 and 29 participated in the election -- a significant increase from the previous election year, when about 44 percent of youths voted in the election. The highest youth turnout rate was in 1972, when 55.4 percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 voted in the election.
Zelenskyy has sought significant attention in the US due to his leadership during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with his pleas for military and financial support resonating in Washington.
In the context of the 2024 U.S. election, the Zelenskyy factor could shape the debate over U.S. foreign policy, especially with regard to military aid to Ukraine. Support for Ukraine has been a point of contention between the two major parties, with many Democrats backing continued aid while some Republicans, particularly within the party's more isolationist factions, calling for a reduction in US involvement.
(With inputs from agencies)
