UNITED STATES 4 November 2008 Nation elects president, governors, legislators 

The United States elects its 44th US president, 47th US vice-president, governors, and national, state and local legislators. It will be the first presidential election in more than 50 years without either an incumbent seeking re-election or a vice president running to succeed a president ending a first or second term. It falls in the middle of a financial crisis that has become global. It has replaced the war in Iraq as the defining issue of the election.  

Climate change, immigration, tax cuts, gay rights and abortion will also be big campaign issues.

Democratic Senators Barak Obama and Republican Senator John McCain are competing for the presidency. The vice presidential candidates are Democratic Senator Joe Biden and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. 

It is expected to be the most expensive election in US history, a race that costs US $1 billion. Each candidate will need to raise at least US $100 million by the end of 2007. And it is the first that sees an African American as a contender for the presidency.

Voters will also elect 440 members of the United States House of Representatives -- 435 voting members and five non-voting delegates -- and 33 out of 100 members of the Senate. Gubernatorial elections will be held in 11 states, with six of the seats held by Democrats and five by Republicans. The election will be coupled in ballot propositions in several states to decide state or local issues.

Though US citizens vote for the president and vice president, it is the members of the Electoral College who cast the deciding votes. They will meet in each state on 15 Dec 2008 to vote. UPDATED Oct/08

RELATED READING:

Washington Post 2008 election guide
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/

Republican Party web
http://www.gop.com/

2008 Democratic National Convention web
http://www.dem-convention.com/convention/