The Process
To begin with, in order to place a vote as a citizen of the United States, there has to be candidates that are running. To be an eligible candidate in the race for Presidency, you must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years. (https://www.usa.gov/election) "Any person who meets these requirements can declare his or her candidacy for President at any time. Candidates must register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) once they receive contributions or make expenditures in excess of $5,000. Within 15 days of reaching that $5,000 threshold, candidates must file a Statement of Candidacy with the FEC authorizing a principal campaign committee to raise and spend funds on their behalf." (https://www.usa.gov/election)
Furthermore, before the election, most candidates running for Presidency undergo a series of “state primaries and caucuses.” Both primaries and caucuses serve the same purpose, which is to allow the states “to assist in choosing the political parties’ nominees for the election.” (https://www.usa.gov/election) State and local governments are in charge of state primaries. (https://www.usa.gov/election) The definition of a Caucus is a private meeting run by political parties of any type. Both primaries and caucuses can be either presented to the people as “open,” or “closed”. (https://www.usa.gov/election) “During an open primary or caucus, people can vote for a candidate of any political party. During a closed primary or caucus, participants must be registered with a political party to vote for one of its candidates.” (https://www.usa.gov/election)