US ELECTION 2024
What does it take to be president of the United States? These are the requirements to run for the US Election
There is only a small range of criteria candidates must reach while something you may expect to bar someone from running is not included.
The path to becoming President of the United States is governed by specific constitutional requirements and modern electoral processes.
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The U.S. Constitution establishes three fundamental qualifications that any presidential candidate must meet:
- Must be a natural-born citizen of the United States
- Must be at least 35 years old
- Must have been a U.S. resident for at least 14 years
There are also some criteria that disqualify candidates from elections:
- Have already served two terms as president (22nd Amendment)
- Have been impeached, convicted, and disqualified from office
- Have been disqualified under the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause
Does being a criminal bar you from running for president?
Being arrested for or even convicted of a crime does not disqualify a person from running for the highest office in the United States. There is no particular law or constitutional provision that prohibits a convicted or arrested person from being a presidential candidate.
Five-time candidate Eugene Debs ran as the Socialist bet for president for the fifth and last time from a prison cell, and managed to get 3.4% of the vote.