In our previous Year of Elections episode, we looked ahead to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions. A lot has changed since. US Vice President Kamala Harris has moved up the ticket and is now running for the presidency. She will be the one to take on former president Donald Trump for the White House.

After all, this is a historic election. Mr Biden is the first sitting president in more than 50 years to drop out of a presidential race and his anointed successor would be the first female president in US history.

But while this election seems essentially a contest between Mr Trump and Ms Harris, there are those who take pains to point out that these two candidates are not voters’ only options.

The US operates under a two-party system but only unofficially. In this episode, we discuss third-party candidates in the US – who they are, why some people love them and why most of the country simply ignores them.

With less than 120 days until millions of Americans cast their ballots to decide their next president, the 2024 election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in recent history. Amid the campaign trail, pressing questions are being raised about President Joe Biden’s fitness for office and the high-profile legal challenges facing Republican challenger Donald Trump.

For months, the candidates have been neck and neck, promising a nail-biting contest. The outcome of the November 5 election, alongside races for 33 Senate seats and all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, will have significant repercussions, not only for the United States but also for its allies and adversaries worldwide.

In this episode of the Year of Elections podcast by The National’s Opinion Desk, host Declan McVeigh is joined by Washington correspondent Ellie Sennett to ask could pivotal foreign policy issues, such as the war in Gaza, influence the results in key battleground states?