Election Day is the first Tuesday in November that follows a Monday in November. (for example, it would be Nov. 2 if that were a Tuesday, but if Nov. 1 were a Tuesday, Election Day would be on Nov. 8) Elections on odd-numbered years typically don't get much media attention, as they're mostly for local offices and ballot initiatives. Elections for President occur every four years, while Congressional elections are every two years. These occur on the even-numbered years.
People go to vote at their local precinct, and voting is open to anyone over age 18, except those who are currently imprisoned for a felony conviction or have been dishonorably discharged from the military. Congressional and local elections are based on a simple majority vote, but Presidential elections are a bit more complicated because of the Electoral College. This consists of "electors" for each state. Every state has as many electors as they have total members of Congress (House and Senate). The candidate who gets the majority of votes in a state is typically awarded all of the electors, but in some states, they are divided proportionately based on how many votes each candidate received. There are a total of 538 electors, so at least 270 are needed to win the Presidential election.
It should also be noted that this system allows for someone to lose the popular vote, but win in the Electoral College, as was the case in 2000, when George W. Bush won the election with more electoral votes, even though his opponent Al Gore had more actual votes.
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