United States Electoral College
The United States Electoral College is a name used to describe the official 538[1] Presidential electors who come together every four years during the presidential election to give their official votes for President and Vice President of the United States.
The number of electors each state has is determined by the number of representatives a state has, plus its two senators. No state can have fewer than three electors. There are 435 representatives in total and 100 senators. The 23rd Amendment to the Constitution awarded Washington, D.C. three electors. Combined, there is a total of 538 electors.
Electors usually vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state. In some states, they vote depending on the popular vote in each congressional district. The Constitution leaves states to decide how electors will vote. Faithless electors are electors that vote against the popular vote, although there is a fine for this in some states.
The Electoral College was created as the Founding Fathers were afraid the popular vote would be easily swayed. Because congressional representatives is determined by population, electors are assigned based on representatives. More populous states have more electors. Because most states have a winner-take-all system, where the winner of the popular vote in a state gains all of the electors, several presidents have lost the popular vote and won the electoral vote. A candidate needs to win a majority of electors, or 270, to become the president-elect.
The Electoral College plays a very important role in today's elections. It is the subject of controversy as some people approve of the system, but for various reasons, some don't. The people who approve of the system often argue and say that it give smaller states more power, and that this a good thing, because if it were done by population, someone could win a majority of the votes in certain states but not win the majority of states. The Electoral College favors those who win more states, big and small. Even though it can be won with 11 states, often certain states stay Democratic or Republican ensuring it likely won't happen this way. Those who are against it bring up the latter argument that it can be won with 11 states and often the candidate who wins does not win the popular vote. Third parties can change the outcome of an election, and it is often debated whether they play a role.
United States Electoral College Media
Electoral votes, out of 538, allocated to each state and the District of Columbia for presidential elections to be held in 2024 and 2028 based on the 2020 census; every jurisdiction is entitled to at least 3.
The New York electoral college delegation voting for Benjamin Harrison for president. In the 1888 election, Harrison became one of the five presidents elected without winning the popular vote.
Cases of certificates of the electoral college votes confirming the results of the 2020 US election, after they had been removed from the House Chambers by congressional staff during the January 6 United States Capitol attack
After the popular election in November, a state's Certificate of Ascertainment officially announces the state's electors for the Electoral College. The appointed Electoral College members later meet in the state capital in December to cast their votes.
Population per electoral vote for each state and Washington, D.C. (2020 census). A single elector could represent more than 700,000 people or under 200,000.
When a state's electors meet in December, they cast their ballots and record their vote on a Certificate of Vote, which is then sent to the U.S. Congress. (Certificate shown is from the election of 1876.)
Projected results of the 2020 United States presidential election using one of the Congressional district methods
Polling. Pew Research Center.
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References
- ↑ This number is reached by adding the 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, and 3 electoral votes for the District of Columbia
Other websites
- U.S. Electoral College FAQ (www.archives.gov)
- Historical Documents on the Electoral College
- U. S. Electoral College -Citizendium
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