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Electoral College

SWBAT: To explain how the President of the U.S. is elected under the Electoral College system. Electoral College. Standard 12.6.2: Discus the nomination process for presidential candidates. Warm-up. How is the President of the U.S. elected? What is a swing/battleground state?

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Electoral College

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  1. SWBAT: To explain how the President of the U.S. is elected under the Electoral College system. Electoral College Standard 12.6.2: Discus the nomination process for presidential candidates

  2. Warm-up • How is the President of the U.S. elected? • What is a swing/battleground state? • How and why does a swing/battleground state have such a large impact on a close election for president?

  3. Purpose of the Electoral College • Determines how the President of the U.S. is elected • The Electoral College is only used for a presidential election – Congressional, Gubernatorial, Propositions are based on direct popular vote. • Two reasons the electoral college was created • To give states with small population > influence • Didn’t trust common man

  4. Make Up of the Electoral College • The # of Electoral College members in each state is based on population (# of representatives for the House) + 2 Senators • Ex: CA has 53 House of Rep. members and 2 Senators = 55 Electoral Votes • “Winner takes all” – winner of the popular vote in each state takes all the electoral votes for that state • Total number of Electoral votes = 538, need a majority (1/2 + 1) to win the presidency (270) – can bring election down to one deciding state

  5. The Flaw of the Electoral College

  6. “Winner Takes All” = Flaw of the system • It is possible to receive > popular vote in a presidential election & still lose election by electoral votes • 3 Ways: • Electoral college doesn’t have to vote for popular choice in that state • A candidate can will the small states and lose the big states • If an election is close, a large number of the population can vote for a candidate but because the election is based on electoral, not popular, votes, and because the winner of the popular vote in each states wins all the electoral votes in that state, it is possible for the candidate who receives more of the popular vote to lose the election = flaw of the system

  7. In the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore won the popular vote, yet Bush won by electoral votes The election came down to one state, Florida, where Bush gathered the electoral votes needed to win This only happens in close elections Case Study: 2000 Presidential Election

  8. Problems in Florida • Disenfranchised minority voters – mainly Blacks & Jews • Poor voting machines (“hanging chads”) • Corruption: • Brother was governor • Vote counter was Bush campaign manager • Fox news reporter who announced Bush won Florida was cousin • Vote recount was stopped

  9. 270-To Win! • 270toWin.com

  10. Electoral College Wrap-Up • What is the main purpose of the electoral college? • Why was it originally created? • How many electoral college votes are there in total? How many are needed to win? • What are the three ways a candidate can win the popular vote but lose the election by eletoral votes? • What happened in Florida in the 2000 presidential election?

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