(FeaturedNews.com) – The highest position in the US federal government is the office of president. The President of the United States (POTUS) is the head of the executive branch and head of state. He’s also the commander-in-chief of the US military.
This is a challenging and difficult job. Not everyone is fit for the position, but to run for office, there are surprisingly few requirements you must meet.
Requirements to Run
The US Constitution outlines the requirements you must meet to run for president in Article II, Section 1, Clause 5. They are very minimal with only three points:
- You must be at least 35 years old.
- You must be a resident of the US for at least 14 years.
- You must be a natural-born citizen.
The Road to the Oval Office
While many people may meet the requirements to become president, it takes much more than that to win the actual office. You must first get on the ballot by winning the primary or caucus in enough states. Once on the ballot, you need to campaign.
Note there are no requirements to hold a previous political office or other stipulations, such as having no criminal history. A lack of experience or character flaws usually will stunt your ability to run for this office as you begin your campaign. You’ll have to get enough support to win the general election, which occurs every four years on the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November.
To win office, a candidate must get 270 electoral votes. Each state has an assigned number of votes based on its population. Heavily-populated states have more votes.
Becoming the next POTUS is a long road. While it may be simple to meet the few constitutional requirements to run for the office, winning requires much more work.
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