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Election 2024

This guide has everything you need to make sure you are registered and ready to vote in the 2024 Elections.

The Candidates

A number of candidates from both parties will be campaigning over the coming months, hoping to secure their party's nomination during the primary elections and caucuses. 

Ballotpedia keeps a running list of people who have declared their candidacy for each party:

Kamala Harris - Democratic Candidate

Harris was born in Oakland, California, in 1964. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, is a biologist from India. Her father, Donald J. Harris, is an economist from Jamaica. From age twelve, Harris lived in Montreal, Quebec, with her mother and sister until she returned to the U.S. to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C. She earned a bachelor's degree in political science and economics from Howard in 1986. Harris attended law school at the University of California, Hastings, serving as president of the school's Black Law Students Association chapter. She graduated with a J.D. in 1989.

After graduating from law school, Harris joined the office of the Alameda County district attorney, where she worked for eight years as a prosecutor. Then, state assemblyman Willie Brown (D) appointed Harris to positions on the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and the Medical Assistance Commission in 1994. In 1998, Harris was hired as managing attorney for the San Francisco District Attorney's Career Criminal Unit. She transferred to head the Division on Families and Children in 2000. In 2003, Harris was elected San Francisco District Attorney. She won re-election in 2007.

In 2010, she was elected California attorney general. She was re-elected in 2014. In 2016, Harris was elected to the U.S. Senate seat formerly held by Barbara Boxer (D). Harris was the first South Asian American to serve in the U.S. Senate.

In 2009, Harris authored Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor's Plan to Make Us Safer, where she discussed potential changes to the criminal justice system. She wrote The Truths We Hold: An American Journey, a memoir, and Superheroes Are Everywhere, a picture book, in 2018.*

 

*From Ballotpedia's entry of Kamala Harris

This section features up to five recent news stories about Harris and her presidential campaign. 

* Text adapted from Ballotpedia's entry of Kamala Harris In the News

** Links open to other entries in Ballotpedia and corresponding events

In progess. When the Harris campaign comes out with more detailed information, this section will be updated. 

(Last updated 7-29-2024)

Donald Trump - Republican Candidate

About Donald J. Trump

Trump was born in Queens, New York, in 1946.[source] He attended Fordham University before transferring to the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a B.S. in economics in 1968.[source]

After graduation, Trump joined his family's company, Elizabeth Trump & Son. He took control of the company in 1971 and later renamed it the Trump Organization.[source] He was involved in various real estate and other business ventures in the following years. From 2004 until 2015, Trump hosted and served as executive producer of The Apprentice on NBC.[source][source]

In 1999, Trump ran as a Reform Party presidential candidate; he withdrew from the race in February 2000.[source][source] Between 1987 and 2012, he changed his official party affiliation five times, registering most recently as a Republican in April 2012.[source]

Trump declared his candidacy for the 2016 presidential election on June 16, 2015, and officially received the nomination of the Republican Party on July 19, 2016, at the Republican National Convention.

On November 8, 2016, Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States. He received 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton's 227.[source]

*From Ballotpedia biography of Donald Trump. You can view the full entry on the President as well. 


Trump's Career Before the Presidency

Below is an abbreviated outline of Trump's professional and political career:

  • 2017-Present: President of the United States
  • 1971-2017: President, The Trump Organization
  • 2004-2015: Producer and host, The Apprentice
  • 1996-2015: Owner, Miss Universe Organization
  • 1987: Author, The Art of the Deal
  • 1968: Graduated with B.S. in economics from the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania

Donald Trump's Policy Positions Before and During The 2020 Presidential Election

The following are selected positions from Ballopedia's entry on Trump's policy positions. Visit the site for the full list of cited sources. 

The following policy positions were compiled from the candidate's official campaign website, editorials, speeches, and interviews.

Immigration

Donald Trump's campaign website says, "President Trump has enforced immigration laws to protect American communities and American jobs. Upon entering office, President Trump called on Congress to fully fund a wall along the southern border, to close legal loopholes that enable illegal immigration, to end chain migration, and to eliminate the visa lottery program. Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Homeland Security took action to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in an orderly fashion, following the assessment of the Department of Justice (DOJ) that DACA lacks legal authorization. The Department of Homeland Security launched the office of Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE). The President released his immigration reform proposal which calls for the transition to a merit-based immigration plan." [source]

Healthcare

Donald Trump's campaign website says, "President Trump has worked to improve access to affordable quality health care. As part of the landmark Tax Cuts and Jobs Act President Trump repealed the individual mandate, which forced people to buy expensive insurance and taxed those who couldn’t afford it. President Trump signed a six-year extension of CHIP to fund healthcare for 9 million. President Trump has mobilized his entire administration to address drug addiction and opioid abuse by declaring the opioid crisis a nationwide public health emergency." [source]

Energy and environmental issues

Donald Trump's campaign website says that "President Trump has approved the infrastructure and provided the resources needed to unleash oil and gas production in the U.S. The administration approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, supporting an estimated total of 42,000 jobs and $2 billion in wages. President Trump rescinded President Obama’s costly Clean Power Plan and instead has proposed the Affordable Clean Energy Rule. In addition to the Clean Power Plan, the Trump administration has rescinded many costly Obama-era regulations." [source]

Trade

Donald Trump's campaign website says, "President Trump has kept his promise to crack down on trade cheaters and to promote fairer and equal trade for all Americans. In his first year in office, President Trump took action to protect America’s critical steel and aluminum industries, which were harmed by unfair trade practices and global excess capacity. One of President Trump’s first actions was to withdraw the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, advancing his agenda to protect American workers. The Trump Administration successfully litigated WTO disputes targeting unfair trade practices and protect our right to enact fair trade laws." [source]

Economy

Donald Trump's campaign website says, "President Trump is unleashing economic growth and jobs. Since his election, the Trump administration’s pro-growth policies have generated 6 million new jobs, the unemployment rate has fallen to its lowest point in 50 years, and wages have grown at more than 3% for 10 months in a row. Under President Trump’s leadership, Congress passed historic tax cuts and relief for hard-working Americans. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth has soared under President Trump, topping 3% in 4 quarters under his administration." [source]

Education

Donald Trump's campaign website says, "President Trump’s proposed budgets have made school choice a priority. The Trump Administration successfully implemented the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to empower states with the flexibility they need to educate their students. The Trump Administration implemented the year-round distribution of Pell grants, instead of limiting these grants to the spring and fall semesters. The Trump Administration brought in financial experts to modernize the way FSA offers and services student loans." [source]

 

 

 

 

See also: Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2020

This section featured five news stories about Trump and his presidential campaign. For a complete timeline of Trump's campaign activity, click here.

  • November 3, 2020: Trump participated in a phone interview on Fox & Friends. He then went to Arlington, Virginia, for an event with campaign staffers. His campaign planned to hold a gathering at the White House in the evening.
  • November 2, 2020: Trump held campaign rallies across North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan (twice), and Wisconsin.
  • November 1, 2020:
    • The Trump campaign took over the YouTube masthead for the three days leading up to Election Day. The advertising space was secured in 2019.
    • Trump held rallies in five states: Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
  • October 31, 2020: Trump was scheduled to campaign across Pennsylvania with events in Bucks County, Reading, and Butler.
  • October 30, 2020: Trump campaigned in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

*From Ballotpedia. View the full entry on Trump in the news. 

COVID-19

Analysis of COVID-19 Response (Ballotpedia)

Selected Titles Authored By Donald Trump