Archive: U.S. Presidential Election 2008

Presidential Candidates John McCain, Barack Obama

November 4, 2008. Today’s the day: America is voting for a new President. Polls begin closing at 6 p.m. EST (midnight CET); all polls are closed by 7 a.m. CET Wednesday, November 5.

Learn more about John McCain, Barack Obama, their running mates and the U.S. political system in the eJournal “The Candidates.”

Listen to the personal stories of the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates:

John McCain

Barack Obama

While we are waiting for the results, check out these facts about today’s Election Day in the U.S. which we have put together for you:

• There is no national election in the United States; rather, the 50 states and the District of Columbia each have an election more
• About one-third of Americans were expected to vote early more
• American astronauts Edward Michael Fincke and Greg Chamitoff working onboard the International Space Station 352 kilometers miles above the Earth have cast their vote via e-mail on specially designed secure ballots more 
• On Election Day, Americans elect not only their next president, but also thousands of local, state and federal representatives more
• The U.S. Department of Justice is responsible for protecting voters’ rights and preventing voter fraud and has sent hundreds of employees to monitor the elections. The department has also set up a Web site and toll-free phone number for citizens to file complaints more
• Join the “Elections Night Live” webchats, starting at 15:00 EST (21:00 CET) and providing coverage throughout the night
• Watch several webcasts, starting at 3 p.m. EST (21:00 CET)

Online Resources - Selected Links For You:

• Candidates, Issues, FAQs: Guide to the 2008 Election from america.gov
• General info on Presidential Elections from the Embassy’s “About the USA” site, as well as specific info on the 2008 Elections (lots of links; in German: Häufig gestellte Fragen)
• USA Elections in Brief
• for U.S. citizens: Participation in the 2008 Electoral Process
• Embassy Events:
  • Berlin-Brandenburg School Project on the U.S. Presidential Election 2008
  • The U.S. Embassy Election Series

Archive: Our Online Coverage of the Election Process

• The third and last of the presidential debates 2008 is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15, 8 p.m. CDT at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., moderated by Bob Schieffer.
• Webchat: What questions do you have as Election Day draws near?
  America.gov’s election experts Michelle Austein and George Burkes keep you up to date on the candidates, issues and quirky happenings in the 2008 campaign on the America.gov blog “Campaign Trail Talk”.
  A webchat took place on Tuesday, October 7, 2008, at http://statedept.connectsolutions.com/elections08/.
  Find more such events at http://www.new.facebook.com/pages/CoNx-See-the-World/26365096875 
• The second of three presidential debates 2008 is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7, 8 p.m. CDT at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.
• The vice-presidential debate on Thursday, October 2, 2008, 8 p.m. CDT at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
• September 26, 2008: On Friday, at 8 p.m. local time, candidates McCain, Obama met in their first presidential debate at the University of Mississippi. Read the transcript »

Party Conventions

• Follow the party conventions online:
  August 25-28, Democratic National Convention http://www.demconvention.com/
• September 1-4, Republican National Convention http://www.gopconvention2008.com/

September 4, 2008. Senator John McCain accepted his nomination for President of the United States. In his speech at the 2008 Republican National Convention McCain stated: “We need to change the way government does almost everything: from the way we protect our security to the way we compete in the world economy; from the way we respond to disasters to the way we fuel our transportation network; from the way we train our workers to the way we educate our children. All these functions of government were designed before the rise of the global economy, the information technology revolution and the end of the Cold War. We have to catch up to history, and we have to change the way we do business in Washington.”  video | full text

August 28, 2008. Senator Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech as the Democratic Party’s Presidential Nominee.  video | full text

Live from the 2008 Political Conventions

August 25 - September 8. The 2008 Democratic and Republican party conventions represent the culmination of months of party primaries and caucuses, resulting in the selection of two official candidates for the U.S. presidency. Please join the daily webchats and webcasts, coming to you live from the convention sites in Denver and Minneapolis. The 2008 political convention webchats and webcasts will feature a wide array of guests, from delegates attending the events to political pundits and analysts — from across the political spectrum — providing their take on each day’s events. more on the Presidential Election 2008 »