At stake in this election:

• The office of President of United States

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President William Jefferson CLINTON *
• Head of Government: President William Jefferson CLINTON
• Assembly: United States has a bicameral Congress consisting of the Senate with 100 seats and the House of Representatives with 435 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government. The president is popularly through a system involving the electoral college. Each state receives a number of electoral college votes equal to its two Senators it has plus its number of seats it has in the House of Representatives, which is based on its population. A candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes (at least 270) to be elected president. The president serves a four-year term, for a maximum of two terms.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by an electoral college to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Senate 100 members are elected by simple majority vote to serve 6-year terms*. In the House of Representatives 435 members are elected by simple majority vote to serve 2-year terms.**

* The states of Georgia and Louisiana require an absolute majority of votes to be elected.

** The states of Georgia and Louisiana require an absolute majority of votes to be elected.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• George W. BUSH*
  • Party: The Republican Party
• Albert GORE, Jr.**
  • Party: The Democratic Party
• Ralph NADER
  • Party: Green Party
• Patrick BUCHANAN
  • Party: The Reform Party

* George W. Bush received 271 votes in the electoral college.

** Albert GORE, Jr. received 266 votes in the electoral college.

Last Presidential election:

• Presidential Elections were last held on November 5, 1996. President William CLINTON received 49.2% of the vote, thereby defeating Robert DOLE, his closest competitor, with 40.7% of the vote.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 275,562,673 (July 2000 est. )
• Registered Voters: 141,850,558 ( 1998 The figure excludes voters in North Dakota and Wisconsin.)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 142,965,028 (2000)

·         Is United States a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has United States ratified CEDAW: No

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: No

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 13 (Senate); 61 (House) following the 2000 elections

·         Human Development Index Position: 8 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is United States a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 July 2009)

·         Has United States ratified CRPD: No

·         Population with a disability: 41,334,400 (est.)