In the American electoral system, people don't really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for "electors" who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators per state plus the number of its representatives in the House (which is based on the state's population). The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state's electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.

在美國的選舉制度中，人們并不直接投票給總統(tǒng)候選人，而是由選民投票給支持各個候選人的“選舉人”。每一州的選舉人人數(shù)和代表此州的國會議員人數(shù)相同，等于每一州有兩位參議員，加上眾議院的眾議員人數(shù)（以各州的人口為基準）。在一個州里擁有最多票數(shù)的候選人就贏得了那一州所有選舉人的票數(shù)。要贏得總統(tǒng)大選，候選人必須至少獲得總共538個選舉人中的270張票。

Over the years, the U.S. has made a number of election reforms. Some early reforms outlawed cheating, giving bribes and threatening voters. They also limited the amount of money candidates could receive from donors and spend on their campaigns. In 1870, black people gained the right to vote, and in 1920, that right was extended to women. In recent decades, laws against unfair rules for voting have been passed. No longer do people have to pay a special tax or pass a test in order to vote. In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18. Other reforms made voting easier for the blind, the disabled and people who couldn't read. In some areas, ballots had to be printed in languages besides English.

多年來，美國在選舉方面做了一些改革。早期有些改革禁止作弊、收受賄賂或威脅選民。他們也限制候選人從捐贈者那兒獲得的金額數(shù)目及花在競選宣傳上的費用。一八七○年，黑人獲得選舉權(quán)。一九二○年，權(quán)利延伸至婦女。近幾十年來，通過了反對不公平選舉規(guī)則的法律。人們不再需要付特殊的稅或通過測驗才能選舉。一九七一年，投票的年齡降至十八歲。其它的改革減輕了盲人、殘障者及文盲投票的困難。在某些地區(qū)，選票上面除了英文以外，還必須印上別的文字。