- Talk to your political party about running for president. If they decide to back you, you’ll be much more likely to get funding and support for your campaign.
- Appoint a campaign manager with experience in politics, fundraising, and rallies to help you promote yourself. Then, raise money for your campaign by calling potential donors.
- Register with the FEC (Federal Election Committee) and publicly declare your candidacy for president in an area like your hometown, where you have a lot of support.
Meeting the Eligibility Requirements
Turn 35 years old. When the original writers of the constitution were thinking of requirements, they wanted a president who would be wise and mature. The age requirement for the President of the United States is higher than any other political office, and it encourages people who have experience in government to apply. The average age of a sitting President is 55 years old.
Live in the United States for at least 14 consecutive years. This means that you have to have lived on US soil for the past 14 years of your life, or longer. You can prove that you’ve lived in an area by showing your current passport or your birth certificate. This is again to avoid foreign influence and to ensure that you’re up to date with politics in America.
Prove you are a natural born American Citizen. Your birth certificate shows when and where you were born, so you’ll need that to get the process started. This is a requirement to avoid foreign influence, no matter how small it is. If you were born overseas, you can be counted as an American citizen if one or both of your parents was American at the time of your birth. If you can’t find your birth certificate or you need a new one, you can request it from your state’s Vital Records office. As long as you’re a natural born American citizen, your gender, religion, and culture have no bearing on whether or not you can be the President.
Becoming a Suitable Candidate
Get plenty of education. While there are no educational requirements or experience necessary per se, most presidents have had advanced degrees and studied Law or Business before entering Politics. You're best off taking classes in History, Sociology, Law, Economics, and International Relations. 31 presidents have had some sort of military experience, but that number is highly skewed to the past—it's not as common as it once used to be. So while joining the military is an option, it's not a necessity.
Pick a political party. Every president runs on the platform of their political party, and you’ll need to take a hard stance on which one you support through your work and career. While you do have the option to switch up your party at any time, you should start researching policies and deciding which ones seem the best to you as soon as possible. When you register to vote, put down your political party to show your support for it. The main 2 parties are Democrat and Republican, but there are also smaller parties, like the Libertarian Party and the Green Party that are smaller and more specific.
Seek out a politically-related career. Though this isn't written in the books, generally presidential hopefuls start in the political arena on a much smaller scale. So get involved in your community! Run for mayor, governor, senator, or some other representative of your state. It's the best way to get your name out there. You don't have to do this. You could be some type of community organizer, lawyer, or activist, too. It's just that getting your name in the ring, getting to know people, and getting people to know you is the simplest way to getting your name on the big ticket at the end of it all.
Volunteer within your community. Just like starting a career is good for getting your name out there, putting in your time and effort for free is a great way to show your dedication and sacrifice. You can volunteer for political parties and candidates to help out causes you believe in and get your face out there as a thriving member of society. If you’re still in college, look around for internships nearby to get your foot in the door. Volunteer experience can also lead to career opportunities down the line.
Becoming a Candidate for President
Think about why you’d like to become the president. Becoming the President of the United States isn’t easy, and doing the actual job is pretty tough too. Before you continue down the path towards your goal, do a little soul-searching to see why exactly you’d like to become the president and whether you can handle the pressure and hardships it may come with. There is also a large chance that you won’t become the president, so you should come to terms with that, too.
Talk to your family and friends. Becoming president includes a grueling campaign where every bit of your personal and professional life will be picked apart by the media and your competitors. It'll be tough on you, but it'll also be tough on your family. You'll be flitting to and from during your campaign with very little time for your spouse and children, so talk to your loved ones before you continue. There are also safety issues that come with running for president. You should talk to your family and friends about the extra security you all might need in the coming months.
Talk to your political party about running. Find out what they’re looking for, who your competition is, and what you’d need to do to get their support. If you’re backed by your own political party, you’re much more likely to get ahead during campaign season. They can also help you find funding for your campaign.
Appoint your campaign manager. When it’s time to get going on your campaign, you’ll need to hire someone to handle the logistics. Pick someone you know and trust who also has experience in politics, fundraising, and rallies so they can help you promote yourself. You can expect your campaign manager to handle your touring schedule, making posters, and coordinating volunteers.
Raise money from donors. Political campaigns are expensive, and you’re going to need a lot of cash to get started. Call anyone you can think of who might back your campaign and ask them for a small, moderate, or large sum of money to help you promote yourself and your policies. You can contact local corporations, nonprofits, or just American citizens. You can also ask your political party if they’ll help to fund your campaign.
Form an exploratory committee. This committee can "test the waters," or determine what your chances are. It's the standard first step to starting out on the presidential path. Have your campaign manager gather a group of political professionals to figure out your chances of winning the presidency, then change your strategy from there. Utilize your exploratory committee to assess the level of visibility you have in the public (i.e, your chance at succeeding) and recommend campaign strategies, themes, and slogans. The committee should also recruit potential donors, endorsements, staff and volunteers, and write position papers and speeches. If it all goes well, they'll start organizing in the key beginning states (Iowa, New Hampshire, etc.)
Register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Once you begin receiving donations or spending money in excess of $5,000, you must register. While this doesn't mean you're officially running, the FEC basically assumes that you are. Be sure to file a Statement of Candidacy within 15 days of reaching the $5,000 threshold. After that statement is filed, you have 10 days to file a Statement of Organization. You must also report campaign income and expenditures to the FEC on a quarterly basis.
Declare your candidacy publicly. This is an opportunity to hold a rally for supporters and voters. Pick a place in your hometown or an area where you have a lot of support, then host a rally with guest speakers and supporters. You can also use this as an opportunity to sell T-shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers with your name on them. Make sure you invite the media so you can televise your candidacy as well.
Getting Elected President
Appeal to average Americans. To become president, you will need to shake hands, attend small town events and visit factories, veterans, churches, farms and businesses. You'll need to put away those diamond cufflinks of yours and roll up your khakis. Al Gore said he invented the Internet. John Edwards had an affair. Mitt Romney said half of US voters don't pay taxes. That's just three things Americans don't like. Wherever you are—whether you think you're being recorded or not—be on your best behavior. The public doesn't easily forget these things. The presidency (or any position of power) is not as bright as it seems; the real challenge is to win key supporters that can help keep your campaign going, win the presidency, and stay in office.
Win primary elections, caucuses, and delegates. Each state has a different way of choosing a president: a caucus, a primary, or some combination of the two. Winning those grants you delegates that choose you to be on the presidential ticket, celebrated at the party's national convention that year. Every state is a bit different, and the party themselves are different as well. Republicans have "pledged" and "un-pledged" delegates; Democrats have "pledged delegates" and "super delegates." Some are a winner-take-all system, while others give you a percentage of delegates to match the percentage of votes you received.
Attend your party's convention. Once you emerge as the strongest candidate in your political party, your party will hold a convention where all the delegates will pledge their support for your candidacy. It used to be that the convention was actually where the delegates voted, but now there's media coverage where everyone already knows who won, so it's a bit more symbolic. Either way, it's a party in your name. It's one day where each party prefers to concentrate on how awesome they are instead of how terrible the other is. So enjoy the short-lived positivity! This is also where you will declare your running mate. This is pretty big—if people don't approve of your choice, you could lose votes, so think it through.
Run in the general election. This is a narrow field that often pits two major candidates against each other, one from the Republican Party and one from the Democratic Party. Here, people across the country will have the option to vote for their candidate of choice. By this point, you’ll have advisors and admins doing most of the background work for you so you can focus on reaching out to citizens and getting votes. Enter the race as a third party if you do not have the backing of a major party, but still want to be president. Other parties that support presidential candidates include the Green Party, Natural Law Party, and Libertarian Party. Presidential candidates have also run as Independents.
Getting to the White House
Stick to your views and your promises. Keep being your charismatic self, and make sure your speechwriters are on top of their game. Get the word out there about what you believe in and what you want to do for the country, and then stick to it. Keep your image as consistent and clean as possible. Not only will it be your word, but it'll be your image everywhere—commercials that you've endorsed (including attack ads), YouTube videos, pictures from your past, etc. No matter what gets thrown at you, you have to take it in stride.
Do well in presidential debates. Not only do you have to know your views, you must know your opponent's views, too. Speak in a way that is convincing to the general public, simultaneously beefing up your own campaign and deflating the other. Do some research beforehand on what is polling well in the general public and stay on-brand for your campaign. When John F. Kennedy stared right into the camera with his tan, young self, sweaty, coming-out-of-the-flu Nixon didn't stand a chance. Charisma will get you a long way here, so play it up to the max.
Win the presidential election. You will need to do more than win the popular vote, which is the tally of all votes in your favor. You will also need to win the electoral college. 270 votes and you've got it! As the votes roll in on that first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, try not to bite your nails off or pull out your hair. You can sleep when all is said and done. Each state has a certain number of electors based on its size and population. To become president, one candidate must have more electoral votes than the other. In the event of a tie, the House of Representatives will decide who wins the election.
Get inaugurated on January 20th. Once all the votes are counted, you’ll have a few months to prepare before you head into the office. On January 20th, you’ll be inaugurated in front of the whole country and officially start your term as the President of the United States. The old president will symbolically hand their position over to you so you can start your term.
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