About the office
The President of the United States is the head of the executive branch of the federal government, the commander in chief of the armed forces, and the head of state. The office is established by Article II of the U.S. Constitution, with the next general election — the 2028 presidential election — held on Tuesday, November 7, 2028.
The President serves a four-year term and may be elected to no more than two terms under the Twenty-second Amendment. The 2028 presidential election is the next chance to choose a President; the 2026 midterm cycle covers Senate and House races only, and the presidential primary calendar feeds into the 2028 ballot.
The Constitution requires the President to be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and a U.S. resident for at least 14 years. Voters in the 50 states and the District of Columbia choose presidential electors who in turn cast the formal votes for President; a candidate needs at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win the 2028 presidential election.
The President signs or vetoes legislation passed by Congress, nominates federal judges and senior executive-branch officers, conducts foreign policy through treaties and executive agreements, and directs the operations of the executive departments. The Vice President serves alongside the President and assumes the office in the event of a vacancy.