WAY OT Senate and Congress, Teach a northerly Neighbour Options

[aveale]

Family,

Can anyone shed some light on the US political system?

I am reading Bill Clinton's book and I am having a hard time getting my head around the electorial process of both the Senate and Congress.

What powers do they have?
What are their functions?
How many members of each?
How are the states/populations represented in each?

Thanx in advance!

T

[Joe Bob]

As long as it stays within the "how our Guv is SUPPOSED to work"....I don't see a problem.

In CA....we have elections most every year. A local election can be combined with a state and/or Federal one....

The ballot will normally show everyone who has qualified to be considered.....usually by the backing of the Democratic or Republican parties. Independent or lesser third parties can qualify by getting "qualifying" signatures from registered voters and presenting them to the registrar in charge of that particular election. Third parties can skip the signature part depending on how they did last election and if the candidate is the incumbent.

You can also write in a candidate. Last election a write in candidate almost won the Mayor's job in San Diego.

Ballots will also have propositions...stuff like the three strikes law, changes to the Consitution, etc....most are proposed by the elected legislatures and put on the ballots for approval.

Some are put on by private groups and are added by the registrar by the qualification process like candidates...by signatures of registered voters.

Candidates "usually" need 50% +1 vote to win as do "most" propositions. Some props need 2/3 majority, and in the case of the Ahnold and the recall of the GOV in CA....he only needed to get the MOST votes to get a runoff....but he got a majority if I remember right.....

BTW....by Federal Constitutional Law, he is banned from being the Prez as he is not a native born American....