What would a Trump administration look like? A Harris administration? What would be dramatically different, and what would be the same? Learn more in the 2024 Electoral Consequences series.

Every 4 years, the United States elects a president with its unique system of the Electoral College. A candidate must secure 270 or more electoral college votes out of 538, or be selected by Congress if no candidate receives more than 269 votes.

The 2020 election ended with President Donald Trump losing his run for a second term. He immediately and repeatedly made claims the election was rigged and fraudulent, which led to the January 6 storming of the Capitol. Ultimately, the votes were confirmed by Congress and Joe Biden was inaugurated on January 20, 2021.

Biden faces several challenges entering his presidency, including the COVID-19 pandemic and an unemployment rate of 6.7%, with a narrow majority in Congress to pass legislation. Biden began his presidency with a historically high disapproval rating of 35%, indicating that we are in a period of high partisanship and highly competitive elections. On the other hand, politicians generally have an incumbency advantage, which could mean a likely victory for Biden.