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Elections: Introduction to the Electoral College

Elections: Introduction to the Electoral College. American Government and Politics (POLS 122). Professor Jonathan Day. Outline. Electoral College Next Class. The Electoral College Game. The Electoral College Game. 1. Each state is a game piece that can be won.

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Elections: Introduction to the Electoral College

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  1. Elections: Introduction to the Electoral College American Government and Politics (POLS 122) Professor Jonathan Day

  2. Outline • Electoral College • Next Class

  3. The Electoral College Game

  4. The Electoral College Game • 1. Each state is a game piece that can be won. • 2. Each state has a particular value. Higher populous states are worth more. • 3. You win the a game piece (a state) if you receive a plurality of the votes. • 4. Plurality – the most votes out of all the candidates in an individual state • Any questions so far?

  5. Texas Democrats 44% Republicans 56% 34

  6. Democrats 0 Republicans 34

  7. California Democrats 52% Republicans 48% 55

  8. Democrats 55 Republicans 34

  9. Minnesota Democrats 48% Republicans 44% Independents 8% 10

  10. Democrats 65 Republicans 34

  11. Montana Democrats 47% Republicans 53% 3

  12. Democrats 65 Republicans 37

  13. Democrats 365 Republicans 173 2008 Presidential Election Barack Obama vs. John McCain

  14. A Closer Look at the Electoral College • 538 total electoral members in the College • Each State is guaranteed two electors plus one elector for every representative they have in Congress. • Therefore, the number of electors each state has is based on the state’s population size.

  15. House of Representatives: 19 Senators: 2 Electoral Votes: 21

  16. Some Examples • California - 55 • Wyoming - 3 • Iowa - 7 • Florida - 27 • D.C. - 3

  17. Electoral College Votes • There are 538 total Electoral College Votes. • The candidate who gets a majority of the votes wins. • 270 is a majority of the Electoral College Votes.

  18. Next Class • Read Chapter 10, “The Electoral College” in Fault Lines, by Friday • Discussion Post due by this Saturday • “Should we keep the Electoral College system in electing our president? Why or Why Not?”

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