HIGHLIGHT

US Presidential Election: « C’est quoi un état pivot? (« what is a swing state? »)

As per its mandate, the West African Research Center (WARC) serves as a bridge between West Africa and North America in various fields: academic, institutional, social and cultural…..

As such, WARC literally became the rallying place for West African and other international media to cover the presidential election in the United States. The WARC Director and other WARC-affiliated resource persons were called upon from November 2^nd  to November 9^th to help people in West Africa and the rest of the world (France, Morocco…) better understand a number of technical specificities of the US election.

1. What is a swing state? Which are the battle ground states?
2. What is a grand elector and why 538 of them?
3. Why do Americans vote in November and on a Tuesday (and not on a Sunday like many other countries)?
4. What is an early vote, what is a mail-in vote?

No less than 25 radio interviews, newspaper stories and TV special programs featured the Director of the West African Research Center and other resource persons affiliated to the Center to help Senegalese and West African populations better grasp the intricate technicalities of electoral processes in the United States. WARC is likely to keep being called on to help understand the election and transition processes in the US until after January 20^th when the new US President and Vice-President are sworn in.