Nov 30, 2015 but did you know your vote doesnt go straight to your favorite candidate. 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. Nov 01, 2012 the electoral college explained christina greer. When voters go to the polls on tuesday, they will be choosing which candidate receives their states electors. So, for example, the electors from minnesota might never meet the electors from texas. 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. It has no role in appointing electors and has no contact with them. In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii. Considering that the president holds the powers of the executive branch of the american government, the process to elect the president is of great significance to any. 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.
The history of the electoral college my election helper. 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. The electoral college was established by the framers of the u. Nov 09, 2016 the electoral college is a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the united states. The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. In a presidential election, voters in each state vote for a specific list of electors who have pledged their vote to a particular candidate. Summary when americans vote for a president and vice president, they are actually choosing presidential electors, known collectively as the electoral college. 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. Electoral college fast facts us house of representatives. 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.
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. 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. The word college in this case simply refers to an organized body of people. 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. This poster explains the presidential election process in the u. Background of the electoral college constitution of united. The electoral college delaware department of elections.
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 provisions of law governing presidential elections are contained in chapter 1 of title 3, united states code 62 stat. 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. 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. 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. United states electoral college clark county, washington. This video gives a short overview of the electoral college and what roles it serves in u.
The concept of the electoral college has been a part of the united states electoral. The united states electoral college consists of 538 people who are selected every 4 years to elect the president of the united states. 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. Electoral college the heritage guide to the constitution. 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 candidate who wins the most electors nationally wins the presidency. For more information about the indirect voting system of the electoral college and its advantages and disadvantages, follow the link. The electoral college consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at.
For a more in depth look into the electoral college and how it works, visit the national archives and administrations u. Why does the united states have an electoral college when it would be so easy to directly elect a president. Why does the united states use the electoral college and not. Electoral college simple english wikipedia, the free. List of books and articles about electoral college. They would select the president and vice president on. It is, instead, how the united states actually elects its president. 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. 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. 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. The electoral college means that swing states which arent necessarily the most representative of the country as a whole get most of the attention. Americans do not vote directly via popular ballot for.
In this paper, i explain the history of the electoral. 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. The electoral college is made up of 538 electors from the all of the states. Historically, americans have been innovators in the design of electoral systems. If any of this strikes you as unfair, you can join the chorus of critics who have abhorred the electoral college. Each state has as many electors in the electoral college as it has representatives and senators in the united states congress, and the district of columbia has three electors. 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. Author, lawyer and electoral college expert tara ross does, and she explains that to understand the electoral college is to understand american democracy. Originally, electors voted for two candidates and the people with the two highest vote totals would be.
The candidates then campaign across the country to explain their. 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. 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. The electoral college method of electing a president of the united states is archaic, undemocratic, complex,ambiguous, indirect, anddangerous. Though this is the method specified by our constitution, it has long been a source of controversy especially every four years. A candidate needs the vote of at least 270 electorsmore. United states electoral college what is the electoral college. 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. Some delegates at the 1787 constitutional convention wanted congress to choose the president while others preferred a democratic popular vote.
May 18, 2018 the electoral college gives small states more weight in the political process than their population would otherwise confer. 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. 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. United states electoral college clark county washington. What is the electoral college, and why does the united states. It established our federal government and defined our governments relationship with the states and citizens. 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. Yes, the electoral college system can allow a presidential candidate to loose the popular, but still be elected as president of the united states. Or why america uses it to elect its presidents instead of just using a straight popular vote. For some of us, the electoral college process and its outcome may seem a bit shocking. 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.
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. The united states constitution the constitution is the supreme law of the land. Why does the united states use the electoral college and. 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 why does the united states use it. Electoral college, the system by which the president and vice president of the united states are chosen. Unlike most us colleges, it is known neither for academic excellence nor for athletic prowess. Washingtons 2016 general election, then the 12 democratic.
The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, which. The executive power shall be vested in a president of the united states of america. 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. The electoral college website now has an easytoremember address. The presidential electors nearly always vote the same way in december as the voters in their states. In its day, the electoral college was an impressive innovation. It is these officials who choose the president and vice president of the united states. 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.
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. In the 200 presidential election, the republican candidate george w. 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. It provides a clean, widely accepted ending to the election most of the time. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. After you cast your ballot for president, your vote goes to a statewide tally. United states electoral college wikimili, the best. If its been a long time since your last civics class, heres a refresher course. The electoral college consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at least 270 ele.
What is the electoral college and what is its purpose. How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 1 introduction the president and vice president of the united states. How it works in contemporary presidential elections pdf. 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. Section 1 of the constitution each state was allocated a number of electors equal to the. Its time to abolish the electoral college brookings institution.
Many criticisms of the electoral college system exist. 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. We hope that this issue of ejournal usa will improve your understanding of the. And even within swing states, certain counties are more competitive than others and voters in. Contrary to popular belief, the electoral college has nothing to do with electricity and is not an institution of higher learning. 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. 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. Electoral college, which determines which individuals. The voters of each state, and the district of columbia, vote for electors to be the authorized constitutional members in a presidential election. The pros and cons of raising the minimum wage pro 2. The governments archives website describes the electoral college as a compromise between election of the president by congress and election by popular vote. In most states, the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state wins the electors. 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. Electors are selected statebystate, as determined by the laws of each state.
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. Learn about the presidential election process, including the electoral. Maine and nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system. In 2004, campaign for liberty chairman ron paul explained why defenders of individual liberty and constitutional government should support retaining the electoral college.
Nov 06, 2016 what is the electoral college, and why does the united states use it. What is the electoral college, and why does the united. Several vote counting methods, including cumulative voting, bucklin voting and coombs method, and instant runoff voting. The electoral college is a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the united states. For example, governors in most states serve four year terms, but in other. 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. 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. Background of the electoral college constitution of. The electoral college is a constitutional process established by the founding fathers to elect the president and vice president of the united states. 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. 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.