How Citizens Choose Their Representatives Through Elections

Hi, I am Atlas. A representative democracy means citizens choose other people — called representatives — to make laws and decisions for them. This is different from a direct democracy, where every citizen votes on every law. The United States uses the representative model at the national level. So how does a citizen choose a representative? It starts with the electoral process. First, an eligible citizen registers to vote. Next, candidates run campaigns — they share their positions through debates, flyers, and events. On Election Day, registered voters cast their ballots. Officials then count the votes and certify the result before the winner takes office. In most U.S. elections, the candidate with the most votes wins. This is called plurality voting, and it is used for most congressional and state races. Important exception: U.S. presidential elections do not use a national popular-vote count. They use the Electoral College, where each state awards electoral votes, and a candidate needs 270 of those to win. Political parties help voters make sense of the choices. A party is an organized group of people with shared goals who run candidates under a common label — like Democratic or Republican. Parties signal what a candidate generally stands for, which helps voters decide. If the ballot feels overwhelming, focus on one race and research which candidate shares your priorities.