Election Day: Citizens cast their votes for president every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November. When Americans vote, they are actually voting for electors in the Electoral College, not the candidates themselves.

Electoral College Process: Electors cast their ballots on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. Each state has a number of electors based on its number of representatives in both chambers of Congress. A candidate must receive at least 270 electoral votes to be elected president. If no candidate receives 270 votes, the House of Representatives elects the president.

Inauguration Day: Traditional events include:

• Morning worship service: The president-elect attends a church service. Franklin Roosevelt began this tradition in 1933.

• Procession to the Capitol: The outgoing president accompanies the president-elect to the Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony.

• Vice presidential swearing-in: The vice-president-elect takes the oath of office just before the president-elect.

• Presidential swearing-in: The oath of office is generally administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

• Inaugural address: The new president delivers his first official speech.

• Inaugural luncheon: The president, vice-president and their guests attend a luncheon hosted by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which organizes and administers the presidential inauguration. The luncheon usually features food from the home states of the new president and vice president.

• Inaugural parade: After the luncheon, the president’s motorcade travels down Pennsylvania Avenue, followed by ceremonial military regiments, citizen groups, marching bands and floats. The president, vice-president and their guests view the parade from a reviewing stand in front of the White House. The parade is organized by the Joint Task Force Armed Forces Inaugural Committee.

• Inaugural balls: In the evening, the Presidential Inaugural Committee organizes a number of balls to honor the new president. The tradition of the Washington ball began with James Madison in 1809.