US elections 2024: How many times can one run for the White House?

As the US elections draw near, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are intensifying their contest for the top spot, each vying to secure their position as the nation's next president in what promises to be a fiercely contested race.

How many times can one run for the White House?

Presidents are limited to serving two elected four-year terms in the White House, and can serve two additional years if an individual becomes president through the order of succession — taking office after the death, resignation, or ousting of the previous president. So, 10 years is the longest any president could serve, but no one so far has been in the White House for that long since Congress passed an amendment on term limits. The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution states "no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice."


Before the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1951, a President could serve an unlimited number of terms. Franklin Roosevelt is the only President to have served more than two terms. He was elected four times and served from 1932 to 1945. The story goes that after serving two terms, America's first president, George Washington was ready to retire. After this, serving two terms became an unwritten rule that was followed by his successors. But during the second world war, that thinking changed with Roosevelt winning four elections in a row, and dying during his fourth term.

In India, there is no restriction in the number of tenures for the position of Prime Minister and President. Constitutionally, a person can be elected an unlimited number of times for the position of Prime Minister and President of India, though most have served one-to-two terms.