美国的总统选举认证过程不寻常和复杂，涉及所有 50 个州和哥伦比亚特区、参议院、众议院、国家档案馆和联邦登记局。
【原文】
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With the U.S. presidential election rapidly approaching at a time of extraordinary political and social disruption, the possibility of an unclear or contested result is coming under scrutiny.
Unlike many other countries, where the president or prime minister is chosen by direct popular vote, in the U.S., a candidate may win the popular vote and still not be elected to the nation’s highest office. The U.S. also differs from most other democracies in that it has no independent electoral commission to certify the final vote count.
In the extraordinary event that no candidate wins in the Electoral College, the House of Representatives meets to elect the next president. This is how John Quincy Adams became president in 1824.
Established almost 250 years ago, this complex process is a foundation of American democracy. Many have questioned whether this antiquated system truly represents the will of the people in modern America.
But for 2020, it remains the process that will decide the presidential race.
Amy Dacey, Executive Director of the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, American University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.