Primaries vs. caucuses
Primaries are secret-ballot elections run by the state. Caucuses are in-person party meetings where voters group by candidate. Most states use primaries; a handful still caucus.
Nonpartisan explainers
How it works
Short, evergreen references to the mechanics of American democracy.
The Electoral College
Presidential elections are decided by 538 electors allocated to states based on their congressional delegation. A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win — not a popular-vote majority.
Redistricting
Every ten years, states redraw congressional and legislative district lines using new census data. Who draws the lines — the legislature, an independent commission, or a court — shapes representation for the decade that follows.
How a bill becomes law (roughly)
A bill is introduced in the House or Senate, referred to committee, amended, voted on in each chamber, reconciled between chambers, and finally signed or vetoed by the President.