Stop 1: Check your qualifications
To be President, you must...
I. Be 35 or older
II. Be a U.S. citizen born in this country
III. Have lived in the U.S. at least 14 years
Okay, so maybe you don't fall into this category, but you probably know someone who does. Your parents, your teacher...anyone interested in a new job?

Stop 2: Get yourself nominated!
At primaries and caucuses throughout the country, voters go to the polls to help each political party decide on a Presidential candidate. Each party’s nominee is not really official until the next couple of stops...

Stop 3: The Party's On!
On July 26, Democratic Party delegates (chosen during primaries and caucuses) gather joyously in Boston to unite behind one Presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry, as well as a Vice Presidential candidate, Senator John Edwards. They'll also vote on a party platform of issues and ideas.

Stop 4: The Republicans’ Turn
On August 30, Republican Party delegates meet in New York City to show that they too know how to party! They'll throw their support behind President George W. Bush to serve another four years as President. Delegates will also officially nominate Richard Cheney for another term as Vice President, and create their own party platform.

Stop 5: Ad Enough?!
Television, radio, and print advertisements are EVERYWHERE! The candidates want you to know why they should live in the big White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Stop 6: Great Debates
The candidates face each other in nationally televised debates. Did they stick to the issues? Did they make good points? Did they clearly state their positions? You decide!

Stop 7: The Big Vote
On November 2, eligible voters in every state vote their choice for President. (If you are a U.S. citizen, you’ll be eligible to vote once you’ve turned 18.) Whichever candidate wins your state's popular vote usually gets ALL of your state's electoral votes. What's an electoral vote? It's the only vote counted nationwide to determine the next President. The number of electoral votes each state gets depends on the size of its population, so larger states get more of them than smaller states. The electoral votes are counted, and the first to win 270 (more than half the electoral votes in the country) wins!

Stop 8: Swearing-In Day!
On Inauguration Day, January 20, one of these candidates will be sworn in as President of the United States. A President who is re-elected must be sworn in again. After the official ceremony, there is a huge parade up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House.