CHOOSING A PRESIDENT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 1 May 1928, Page 4

CHOOSING A PRESIDENT.

Interest in the Presidential campaign in the United States is growing rapidly with the emergence of Mr H. C. Hoover and Mr Al. Smith as the most favoured candidates, so far, in the Republican and Democratic parties. Mr Hoover, who is Secretary of Commerce in the. present Government, has distinguished himself with food control during the war, and with relief measures more recently in the flood areas. Mr Smith, who is opposed in some quarters 'because he is a Roman Catholic, is Governor of Now York, and an extremely popular figure with his own party. It is not certain that these, two men will be the final nominees, but it seems to be extremely likely that they will be the first choice of their parties. Nevertheless, the election of President is a complicated matter. Individual electors meet in their own States and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President. The votes are counted in each State and transmitted, sealed, to the Senate, which opens all the vote certificates and counts them. If one person has a majority of the votes he is immediately declared elected, but- if no person has a majority, then the persons (not exceeding three) having the highest number of votes are submitted to a ballot of the House of Representatives. In this

Shallot the votes are taken 'by States, the representation from each State having one vote, and a majority of all the States being necessary to a choice. In some respects the process by which the parties select their nominees follows the plan of the Presidential election. The people get a great deal of fun out of it, and the world will probably be greatly diverted by the events of the next few weeks.