US Presidential Election process explained by Consul General Craig Hall

Consul General Craig L Hall, the key speaker, began by highlighting that the election process in any country is influenced by the history and culture of that country.

Therefore, when the the first laws were set in the US, the states, afraid of losing their power to a federal government, ensured that they had a bigger say in the nomination of the candidates.

While every state has to operate within a stipulated framework, the system of electing Presidential nominees can not only differ from one state to another but also from one county to another within a particular state,he said.

Students of Political Science and other subjects scribbled notes furiously as the Consul General explained the various rounds of the race to the party nominations, including explaining things such as where lies the difference between primaries and caucuses, and then the race for the presidential election, including what constitutes an electoral college, what is 'popular vote' and what is 'electoral vote'.

The largely Indian audience, used to a very different process of elections, had plenty of queries ranging from rigging in the elections to who is the US equivalent of India's Election Commission.

The evening concluded with the Consul General informing the audience that on the day of the Presidential Election (November 8), the American Centre will arrange for a live-cast of the event on their premises.

Image: US Consulate General Kolkata