Brown Votes: Brown Guide for Voting

During general elections, voters choose from candidates endorsed by political parties or independent candidates. However, before most general elections, political parties host primary elections in which voters elect the candidate they want to represent their respective party. For example, in the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary, Democratic voters chose between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Similarly, during the Republican Presidential Primary in 2016, voters chose from a series of candidates to represent their party. The results of these primaries determine which candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties appear on the general election ballot. In the 2016 general election, party voters chose between Donald Trump (R) and Hillary Clinton (D) in the general election.

Every two years in November, voters across the United States cast their ballots to elect the leaders they want to represent them in the US Congress. Voters elect all 435 US Representatives and roughly ⅓ of all 100 US Senators in each federal election. Every four years, voters also elect the US President and Vice President. While federal primaries occur at different times in each state, federal general elections are all held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November (between November 2nd and November 8th).

Municipalities will also host elections for state officials (such as State Representative, Attorney General, and Governor) and local officials (such as School Board, Mayor, and City Councilor) throughout the year. While these elections may coincide with the federal election cycle, they often occur at various times throughout the year.

In some instances, unexpected vacancies in elected offices may arise, forcing the government to hold a special election to nominate a new official. For example, following the death of US Senator Ted Kennedy in August 2009, Massachusetts held a special election in January 2010 to replace Kennedy.

In addition to voting for candidates for elected office, in some elections, voters will directly vote on legislation – ballot initiatives or ballot measures – that will become law if most voters approve it. In 2022, Maryland and Missouri voters approved ballot measures that legalized recreational marijuana, while voters in Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota rejected similar measures.