The Vice President of the United States, also knowns as VPOTUS or Veep, is an important position in the executive branch of federal government. The Vice President is probably best known as being “a heartbeat away from the presidency”, meaning that if a sitting President dies or is impeached, the Vice President takes over. However, constitutionally, the main responsibility of the Vice President is the role of President of the Senate. Under Article One, Section Three of the US constitution: Show
“The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.” As head of the upper house of congress, the Vice President votes on legislation or other motions only when Senators are deadlocked 50-50. This has occurred 243 times and involved 35 different Vice Presidents. Whilst in the past the Vice President would actively preside over Senate proceedings, nowadays its customary that they only get involved in order to break a tie. The only other formally recognized duty of the Vice President is to preside over and certify the tally of electoral college votes after a Presidential election has taken place. Informal Roles of the US Vice President However, the role also brings with it many visible, informal responsibilities. These would typically vary depending upon the relationship between the President and Veep of the day, but have typically included:
Selection of the Vice President Potential US Vice Presidents must fulfill the following criteria by being:
Other than this, vice presidential candidates don't require any special qualifications. In practice, however, most candidates have served in Congress, and some have been high ranking military officers or state Governors. Vice presidential candidates run together with presidential candidates in an election on a "joint ticket" as a "running mate". This means that once the vice presidential candidate for each party has been confirmed, voters are then essentially selecting the President and Vice President as a single package. In theory, vice presidential candidates are selected at National Conventions by the party as a whole once the Presidential candidate has been announced. In reality, however, standard practice has been that Presidential candidates effectively choose their own running mates. The first US Vice President was John Adams, serving from 1789 to 1797. The current office holder is Mike Pence. See also: Executive Branch, US Senate, US Presidential Election
The Constitution names the vice president of the United States as the president of the Senate. In addition to serving as presiding officer, the vice president has the sole power to break a tie vote in the Senate and formally presides over the receiving and counting of electoral ballots cast in presidential elections. Today vice presidents serve as principal advisors to the president, but from 1789 until the 1950s their primary duty was to preside over the Senate. Since the 1830s, vice presidents have occupied offices near the Senate Chamber. Over the course of the nation’s history, the vice president’s influence evolved as vice presidents and senators experimented with, and at times vigorously debated, the role to be played by this constitutional officer.
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Learn about the presidential election process, including the Electoral College, caucuses and primaries, and the national conventions. In other U.S. elections, candidates are elected directly by popular vote. But the president and vice president are not elected directly by citizens. Instead, they’re chosen by “electors” through a process called the Electoral College. The process of using electors comes from the Constitution. It was a compromise between a popular vote by citizens and a vote in Congress. The ElectorsEach state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate). Including Washington, D.C.’s three electors, there are currently 538 electors in all. Each state’s political parties choose their own slate of potential electors. Who is chosen to be an elector, how, and when varies by state. How Does the Electoral College Process Work?After you cast your ballot for president, your vote goes to a statewide tally. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., the winner gets all the electoral votes for that state. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electors—more than half of all electors—to win the presidential election. In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in November after you vote. But the actual Electoral College vote takes place in mid-December when the electors meet in their states. See the Electoral College timeline of events for the 2020 election. While the Constitution doesn’t require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states do. The rare elector who votes for someone else may be fined, disqualified and replaced by a substitute elector, or potentially even prosecuted. Special SituationsWinning the Popular Vote but Losing the ElectionIt is possible to win the Electoral College but lose the popular vote. This happened in 2016, in 2000, and three times in the 1800s. What Happens if No Candidate Wins the Majority of Electoral Votes?If no candidate receives the majority of electoral votes, the vote goes to the House of Representatives. House members choose the new president from among the top three candidates. The Senate elects the vice president from the remaining top two candidates. This has only happened once. In 1824, the House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams as president. How to Change the Electoral CollegeThe Electoral College process is in the U.S. Constitution. It would take a constitutional amendment to change the process. For more information, contact your U.S. senator or your U.S. representative. Explains the presidential election process from beginning to end.
An election for president of the United States happens every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The most recent presidential election was November 3, 2020. Primaries, Caucuses, and Political ConventionsThe election process begins with primary elections and caucuses. These are two methods that states use to select a potential presidential nominee What is the Role of the Electoral College?During the general election What is a Typical Presidential Election Cycle?The presidential election process follows a typical cycle:
Before the general election, most candidates for president go through a series of state primaries and caucuses. Though primaries and caucuses are run differently, they both serve the same purpose. They let the states choose the major political parties’ nominees for the general election. State Primaries and Caucuses for the Presidential Elections
Learn which states have which types of primaries. Awarding Delegates from the Primaries and CaucusesAt stake in each primary or caucus is a certain number of delegates. These are individuals who represent their state at national party conventions. The candidate who receives a majority of the party’s delegates wins the nomination. The parties have different numbers of delegates due to the rules involved in awarding them. Each party also has some unpledged delegates or superdelegates. These delegates are not bound to a specific candidate heading into the national convention. When the primaries and caucuses are over, most political parties hold a national convention. This is when the winning candidates receive their nomination. For information about your state's presidential primaries or caucuses, contact your state election office or the political party of your choice. The president must:
Anyone who meets these requirements can declare their candidacy for president. Once a candidate raises or spends more than $5,000 for their campaign, they must register with the Federal Election Commission. That includes naming a principal campaign committee to raise and spend campaign funds. After the primaries and caucuses, most political parties hold national conventions. What Happens at a National Political Convention?Conventions finalize a party’s choice for presidential and vice presidential nominees. To become the presidential nominee, a candidate typically has to win a majority of delegates. This usually happens through the party’s primaries and caucuses. It’s then confirmed through a vote of the delegates at the national convention. But if no candidate gets the majority of a party’s delegates during the primaries and caucuses, convention delegates choose the nominee. This happens through additional rounds of voting. Types of Delegates at a National ConventionThere are two main types of delegates:
Contested and Brokered ConventionsIn rare cases, none of the party’s candidates has a majority of delegates going into the convention. The convention is considered “contested.” Delegates will then pick their presidential nominee through one or more rounds of voting.
At the convention, the presidential nominee officially announces their selection of a vice presidential running mate. Last Updated: March 9, 2022 Top |