The Election
The 2008 Presidential Election will be held on November 4th, 2008. The allocation of electoral votes to each state will be partially based on the 2000 Census. Any candidate receiving a majority of electoral votes (270+) will become presidenti-elect of the United States. The president-elect will be inaugurated on Tuesday, January 20th, 2009.
The election will replace the current sitting president George Herbert Walker Bush who cannot run again because of term limits established in the 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution. This type of election is often referred to as an "open seat" or non-incumbent election.
Unlike several previous elections where a sitting president is replaced at the limit of his term the current Vice President Richard Cheney has stated on several occasions he will not run for office. One example is an appearance on the television program FOX News Sunday
"If nominated, I will not run," "If elected, I will not serve," or not only no, but "Hell no." I've got my plans laid out. I'm going to serve this president for the next four years, and then I'm out of here. (Retrieved From Fox News 12/5/06)
Primaries/Caucases
Delegates to national party conventions are selected through direct primary elections, state caucuses, and state conventions. The process continues through June, but in previous cycles, including 2004, the Democratic and Republican candidates were effectively chosen by the March primaries, because the leading candidates had collected enough committed delegates to win in the national convention. Most third parties select delegates to their national conventions through state conventions.