In this article it explains that every state will get one vote for president for every representative that they send to the united states congress. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral. Nov 15, 2016 yes, the electoral college system can allow a presidential candidate to loose the popular, but still be elected as president of the united states.
In the 200 presidential election, the republican candidate george w. The electoral college consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at least 270 ele. The candidates then campaign across the country to explain their. The electoral college was established in 1788 by article ii of the us constitution, which also established the executive branch of the us government, and was revised by the twelfth amendment ratified june 15, 1804, the fourteenth amendment ratified july 1868, and the. T he president of the united states is selected by an indirect popular election which relies upon the electoral college to execute the will of the electorate. The office of the federal register ofr is a part of the national archives and records administration nara and, on behalf of the archivist of the united states, coordinates certain functions of the electoral college between the states and congress. The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which forms every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states.
The united states electoral college consists of 538 people who are selected every 4 years to elect the president of the united states. Electoral college, the system by which the president and vice president of the united states are chosen. May 18, 2018 the electoral college gives small states more weight in the political process than their population would otherwise confer. The united states constitution the constitution is the supreme law of the land. The electoral college consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at. Dec 16, 2016 a us president is elected via the electoral college system, but what is this system and how has it worked in the current presidential race. Section 1 of the constitution each state was allocated a number of electors equal to the. The president and vice president of the united states are elected by the electoral college, which consists of 538 electors from the fifty states and washington, d. This poster explains the presidential election process in the u. This video gives a short overview of the electoral college and what roles it serves in u. Constitution, the electoral college is the formal body which elects the president and vice president of the united states.
It is designed to not only create a more efficient federal government, but to also protect the interest of the states. Nov 06, 2016 what is the electoral college, and why does the united states use it. When voters go to the polls on tuesday, they will be choosing which candidate receives their states electors. The provisions of law governing presidential elections are contained in chapter 1 of title 3, united states code 62 stat. Jan 07, 2020 not only was the creation of the electoral college in part a political workaround for the persistence of slavery in the united states, but almost none of the founding fathers assumptions about. Supreme court was a powerful civil rights advocate who, prior to his appointment to the court, developed a successful legal strategy to end the era of official segregation in the united states. Yes, the electoral college system can allow a presidential candidate to loose the popular, but still be elected as president of the united states. Summary when americans vote for a president and vice president, they are actually choosing presidential electors, known collectively as the electoral college. United states electoral college clark county, washington. Hamilton explained the election was to take place among all the states, so no corruption in any state could taint the great body of the.
Others continued to voice strong support for the electoral college and its enhancement of the importance of less populous states by basing the number of a states electors on its u. Nov 30, 2015 but did you know your vote doesnt go straight to your favorite candidate. Counting electorial vote 1921, 2921 if youre a united states citizen, 18 years of age or older, you probably think you have the right to. The executive power shall be vested in a president of the united states of america. Background of the electoral college constitution of united. Why does the united states use the electoral college and. The electoral college delaware department of elections. It is, instead, how the united states actually elects its president. Or why america uses it to elect its presidents instead of just using a straight popular vote. Unlike most us colleges, it is known neither for academic excellence nor for athletic prowess.
House of representatives, office of photography in early november, americans go to the polls to elect a president and a vice president who will serve for the next four years. Since the election, there have been renewed calls to abolish the electoral college, so that the president could be elected by popular vote. Dec 22, 2019 the electoral college system was designed so as to nullify some of the potential for the tyranny of the majority by making population less important in the whole of the electoral college process. Why does the united states have an electoral college when it would be so easy to directly elect a president. United states electoral college what is the electoral college. In 2004, campaign for liberty chairman ron paul explained why defenders of individual liberty and constitutional government should support retaining the electoral college. How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 1 introduction the president and vice president of the united states are chosen indirectly by a group of persons. Oct 31, 2016 in this video, were looking at how the electoral college system actually works and why it is that the united states uses the electoral college instead of the popular vote to decide who gets to be. What is the electoral college, and why does the united states use it. The voters of each state, and the district of columbia, vote for electors to be the authorized constitutional members in a presidential election. The constitution of the united states preamble we the people of the united states, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do. Its time to abolish the electoral college brookings institution. Electoral college the heritage guide to the constitution.
Author, lawyer and electoral college expert tara ross does, and she explains that to understand the electoral college is to understand american democracy. Learn about the presidential election process, including the electoral. Historically, americans have been innovators in the design of electoral systems. Contrary to popular belief, the electoral college has nothing to do with electricity and is not an institution of higher learning. Several vote counting methods, including cumulative voting, bucklin voting and coombs method, and instant runoff voting. It was devised by the framers of the united states constitution to provide a method of election that was feasible, desirable, and consistent with a republican form of government. It has no role in appointing electors and has no contact with them. United states electoral college wikimili, the best. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electorsmore. We hope that this issue of ejournal usa will improve your understanding of the. The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which. United states electoral college clark county washington. The electoral college means that swing states which arent necessarily the most representative of the country as a whole get most of the attention.
In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii. When americans vote for president and vice president of the united states, they are actually voting for presidential electors, known collectively as the electoral college. The electoral college method of electing a president of the united states is archaic, undemocratic, complex,ambiguous, indirect, anddangerous. If any of this strikes you as unfair, you can join the chorus of critics who have abhorred the electoral college for generations. Electors are selected statebystate, as determined by the laws of each state.
It also explains why a candidate can win the popular vote but not actually win the election, which is what happened in the 2016 presidential election. Today, the electoral college has 538 electors, and in all but two states, maine and nebraska, all of the state s electors are awarded to the winner of the popular vote within that state. It is these officials who choose the president and vice president of the united states. Introduction, levels of election presidential election basics specifics about the electoral college critisism at the electoral college procedure nomination of presidential candidates election day final election of the president congressional elections. Americans do not vote directly via popular ballot for. The electoral college is one of the most important elements of the modern american political system, as it determines exactly how the president of the united states is elected. Not only was the creation of the electoral college in part a political workaround for the persistence of slavery in the united states, but almost none. What is the electoral college, and why does the united. To create your own forecast for the 2020 election, click on the states in the map to toggle them between democrat, republican and tossup and watch the electoral. The electoral college website now has an easytoremember address. The word college in this case simply refers to an organized body of people. Though this is the method specified by our constitution, it has long been a source of controversy especially every four years.
Why does the united states use the electoral college and not. Students will view a video about the structure of the electoral college, learn about north carolinas importance in the 2016 presidential election, and participate in an electoral college simulation. If its been a long time since your last civics class, heres a refresher course. Electoral college fast facts us house of representatives. The electoral college is made up of 538 electors from the all of the states. Learn about the financing of presidential elections, the rules for convention delegates and the electoral college system used to elect the president of the united states.
Naturally, many democrats and independents staunchly opposed to trump took to social media to denounce the electoral college as arcane and in need of abolition. And even within swing states, certain counties are more competitive than others and voters in. Maine and nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system. The founding fathers created the electoral college system as a compromise between having the president elected by congress and having the president elected by the popular vote of. The founding fathers created the electoral college system as a compromise between having the president elected by congress and having the president elected by the popular vote of qualified citizens. For example, governors in most states serve four year terms, but in other. Background of the electoral college constitution of. Nov 09, 2016 the electoral college is a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the united states. The mechanism through which voters elect their vice president and president tends to be a bit confusing, but there is a method to the madness. The electoral college is the important and often controversial process by which the united states selects the president of the united states every four years. In most states, the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state wins the electors. What is the electoral college, and why does the united states.
The governments archives website describes the electoral college as a compromise between election of the president by congress and election by popular vote. T he president of the united states is selected by an indirect popular election which relies upon the electoral college to execute the will of the electorate in a presidential election, voters in each state vote for a specific list of electors who have pledged their vote to a particular candidate. Electoral systems in the united states electoral systems in the united states. The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. The electoral college was established in 1788 by article ii of the us constitution, which also established the executive branch of the us government, and was revised by the twelfth amendment ratified june 15, 1804, the fourteenth amendment ratified july 1868, and the twentythird amendment ratified mar. For some of us, the electoral college process and its outcome may seem a bit shocking. Thats because the united states has something called an electoral college its not a university but a group of people who do the electing for us. For a more in depth look into the electoral college and how it works, visit the national archives and administrations u. List of books and articles about electoral college. But only 538 men and women will elect the next president of the united states, and those elections will take place in 50 state capitals and in washington, d. The history of the electoral college my election helper.
The electoral college was established by the framers of the u. The electoral college was established by the founding fathers of the united states as a compromise between election of the president by congress and election by popular vote. How it works in contemporary presidential elections pdf. So, for example, the electors from minnesota might never meet the electors from texas. Nov 01, 2012 the electoral college explained christina greer. The electoral college is a constitutional process established by the founding fathers to elect the president and vice president of the united states. The electoral college represents a compromise between the election of the president by congress and the election of the president by a popular vote of qualified citizens. What is the electoral college and what is its purpose. If any of this strikes you as unfair, you can join the chorus of critics who have abhorred the electoral college. How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 1 introduction the president and vice president of the united states. After you cast your ballot for president, your vote goes to a statewide tally.
The pros and cons of raising the minimum wage pro 2. The electoral college is a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the united states. Washingtons 2016 general election, then the 12 democratic. Originally, electors voted for two candidates and the people with the two highest vote totals would be. Electoral college, which determines which individuals. For more information about the indirect voting system of the electoral college and its advantages and disadvantages, follow the link. Electoral college simple english wikipedia, the free. It established our federal government and defined our governments relationship with the states and citizens. In a presidential election, voters in each state vote for a specific list of electors who have pledged their vote to a particular candidate. Many criticisms of the electoral college system exist.
It provides a clean, widely accepted ending to the election most of the time. States used to wait as long as possible to hold primaries and caucuses why the longer you wait the greater input you have on the nomination in recent years states are moving their primaries and caucuses closer to iowa and new hampshire frontloading. The united states constitution was made by the states, for the states. In this video, were looking at how the electoral college system actually works and why it is that the united states uses the electoral college instead of the popular vote to decide who gets to be. Jan 17, 2020 the electoral college is the important and often controversial process by which the united states selects the president of the united states every four years. Electoral college web site, providing current information about the. In its day, the electoral college was an impressive innovation.
The concept of the electoral college has been a part of the united states electoral. The presidential electors nearly always vote the same way in december as the voters in their states. The president of the united states is selected by an indirect popular election which relies upon the electoral college to execute the will of the electorate. Some delegates at the 1787 constitutional convention wanted congress to choose the president while others preferred a democratic popular vote.
1432 913 965 1175 997 1260 1259 801 1638 1179 1530 1025 1555 1286 1443 631 443 601 1295 1391 836 219 202 391 50 1139 519 100 883 298 1228