What a complicated electrol system you have.
In Australia, if an election campaign is longer than 8 weeks, it is considered to be a long campaign. The term of Government is 3 years but at any time the Prime Minister can call an election. To do so he/she must go to the Governor General and have writs issued to dissolve both houses of Parliament. Then the Prime Minister declares the date for the election.
Then for the next 6 to 8 weeks, they go at it hard, pressing the flesh, kissing babies, etc. On election day, and it's always a Saturday, voting in compulsory, yes that's right, compulsory. If you don't vote you get a fine of $20.00.
I believe it is a good system, making people vote. That way you get a better turnout of voters making the winner having a majority of eligible votes.
We don't have a "first past the post" system, we have a preferential system where the person who you want to govern, you vote 1, the next 2, and so on to the person you want least to govern.
Then preferences are distributed, EG: people who are voted 2 give preferences to other parties.
When it's a general election, it's for the "upper house" House of representatives, and either a full or half senate election for the "lower house".
Any bill that is passed in the "upper house"must be passed in the lower house to become law. If it doesn't pass in the lower house it either goes back to the upper house for changing or is dropped. If a bill is rejected by the lower house three times, the Prime Minister can call a "double disillusion" and call a general election as was done in 1974.
By about now you're very confused, but it works very well. We don't have politicians in your face 24/7 for 18 months, 6 weeks is long enough.
And just for the record, I hope Hillary gets in.
Freddie