1 / 23

The Electoral College

Explore the nuances of the Electoral College system, its historical background, state electoral votes, elector selection, and criticisms, with examples from past elections and proposals for reform.

egregg
Download Presentation

The Electoral College

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Electoral College Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  2. True or False? The candidate with the most votes is elected president. Answer: Not necessarily just ask Al Gore and Hillary Clinton. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  3. The 2000 Election The Popular Vote: Al Gore 50,996,039 George W. Bush 50,456,141 The Electoral Vote: George W. Bush 271 Al Gore 267 Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  4. The 2016 Election The Popular Vote: Hillary Clinton 64,429,062 Donald J. Trump 62,352,375 The Electoral Vote: Donald J. Trump 290 Hillary Clinton 232 Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  5. Historical Background • The framers of the Constitution disagreed on how to elect a president • Should it be one selected by Congress or a direct popular election? • The electoral college was a compromise • Combining features of both approaches. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  6. The Electoral College and Federalism • The electoral college also reflects the federal nature of the Constitution • Ensures that the states have a role in selecting the president. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  7. State Electoral Votes • Each state is entitled to as many electoral votes as the sum of its representation • U.S. House of Representatives • U.S. House of Senate • Michigan: 14 House members plus 2 senators = 16 electoral votes • Total: • 435 House members • 100 senators • 3 electors for the District of Columbia • 538 electoral votes Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  8. Who are the Electors? • Individuals selected in each state to officially cast that state’s electoral votes. • Michigan selects 16 electors to cast the state’s 16 electoral votes. • Framers anticipated that electors would be state leaders who would exercise good judgment. • Today, party leaders select electors who are typically long-time party activists. • Electors almost always vote for their party’s candidates. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  9. Delegate Votes Divided • Each state determines the manner of selection • All but two states use a winner-take-all delegates statewide election system • Nebraska • Maine • Everyone else • If Candidate A gets the most votes in a state, Candidate A gets the all of the delegates. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  10. Voters and Electors • Therefore, • An Michigander who votes for Donald Trump is really voting for a elector pledged to cast the state’s electoral votes for Trump. • Remember: • In 2000, Bush won all of Florida’s 25 electoral votes because the final official vote tally showed him ahead of Gore by about 600 votes. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  11. The Real Election • In December of election year- • The electors gather in their respective state capitols to cast ballots for president and vice president. • In January- • Congress comes into session • They open the ballots received from each state • They announce the official outcome. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  12. What if no one receives a majority? • To win, a candidate needs a majority of the Electoral vote • At least 270 electoral votes to be exact • If no candidate has a majority The House of Representatives selects the president from among the three presidential candidates with the most electoral votes. • If this happens, each state has one vote. • It’s only happened only once in 1824 Congress chose John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay. • The Senate then selects the vice president from the top two vice-presidential candidates.

  13. Popular Vote v. the Electoral Vote • In a close race, the popular vote winner may not win the electoral college. • One candidate may win states by lopsided margins while the other wins states by narrow margins. • Electoral vote winners who lost the popular vote: • Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel Tilden in 1876 • Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland in 1888 • Bush over Gore in 2000 • Donald J. Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016 Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  14. Criticisms of the Electoral College • The popular vote winner may lose the presidency. • Electors may vote for persons other than their party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates. • If no candidate receives a majority, Congress will pick the president and vice president. • This can be an advantage for the political party with a Congressional majority Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  15. Proposals for Reform • Eliminate electors but still count electoral votes. • Choose the president by direct popular election. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  16. Review Question If North Carolina has 13 U.S. representatives, how many electoral votes does the state have? Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  17. Answer They would receive 13 representatives Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  18. Review Question Who are electors? Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  19. Answer They are individuals selected in each state to officially cast that state’s electoral votes. Electors are typically long-time party activists who are selected by their state party organization as a reward for their loyalty to the party. In most states, electors are officially pledged to support their party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  20. Review Question Does it matter whether a candidate carries a state by a few votes or a lot of votes? Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  21. Answer No. A candidate receives all of a state’s electoral votes whether the candidate carries the state by one vote or a million votes. In every state except Nebraska and Maine, the race is winner take all. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  22. Review Question What is the small state bias? Political Science Module Developed by PQE

  23. Answer The electoral college has a small state bias because every state gets at least three electoral votes regardless of its population. As a result, small states such as Alaska, Wyoming, and South Dakota enjoy a greater percentage of electoral votes than they would merit based strictly on population. Political Science Module Developed by PQE

More Related