US election in numbers

3 November

That's the date for the US presidential election, congressional races, Senate contests and several state and local races. Election Day is traditionally set for the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

10 key states

The presidential election is expected to come down to results in 10 states where residents tend to vacillate in their support between one party and the other.  Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, Iowa and Ohio were essential for Trump's victory in 2016. And polls show that Biden could disrupt Republican electoral power in Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina and Texas this year.

35 + 435

Besides voting for president, millions of American voters will also be choosing members of the country's 117th Congress. There are 35 Senate seats up for grabs, as are all 435 in the House of Representatives.

270

American democracy is executed through a unique mechanism on the national level: the Electoral College.  Rather than vote directly for their presidential candidate of choice, Americans actually vote for 538 electors who then elect the president.  270 is the magic number to win the White House. 

1,214 candidates

Some 1,216 candidates have filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for president.

230,000,000

There are 230 million Americans who are eligible to vote in the presidential election, although a large portion often sit it out.  But the 2020 election could see record-high turnout. More than 94 million people had cast their ballots early this time. Some 138 million Americans voted in 2016.