How the Electoral College Works

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How the Electoral College Works
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Why was it Created?

• Framers questioned whether uninformed citizens
  would select an adequate leader for the nation?
  if the people chose the wrong President, the EC
  could override the vote.
• Framers feared that citizens would only vote for
  candidates from their own state

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United States Constitution

• The United States Constitution outlines how the
  President is to be elected.
• Article II Section Electoral College
• 538 people called electors responsible for
  electing the Pres and VP
• of members in House of Reps (435) of
  members in Senate (100) 3 for Washington D.C
  (23rd Amendment) 538

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The Number of Electoral College Votes Each State
has is Determined by
Total Number of Electoral College Votes
Number of Representatives
Number of Senators


Changes with Census
Each State has Two Senators
Each State has at Least One Representative Determi
ned by Population at time of Census
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Ohio 2012 Presidential Election
2010 Census Data
Number of Representatives
Total Number of Electoral College Votes
Number of Senators


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• Steps in the Electoral College Process

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Step 1 Popular Vote

• On election day, voters choose who they want to
  be President Vice President
• What were actually choosing are ELECTORS who
  represent the political party of the candidate we
  like
• These electors are then supposed to vote for the
  candidate that wins the popular vote in a given
  state

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Step 2 Winner Take All

• Winner takes all
• Candidate who wins the popular vote within a
  statewins all of the electoral votes for that
  state
• 48 States
• Nebraska and Maine have proportional system -
  each candidate gets some votes
• Majority rules
• Candidate who wins the majority of votes wins the
  election
• Need 270 Votes to win

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Step 3 Voting

• Meeting of Electors - Electors meet in each State
  capitol to cast votes for the candidate they
  represent (Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in
  December).

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Step 4 Counting Ballots

• Those votes are then sent to the president of the
  Senate in DC
• The president of the Senate counts the votes on
  January 6 before a joint session of Congress
• If there is a tie, the President will be decided
  by the House of Representatives

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Flaws of the Electoral College
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1 - Person who doesnt win popular vote can be
elected President

• 4 Elections
• Jackson (41.3) v. J.Q. Adams (30.9)
• J.Q. Adams winner
• Hayes (4.0M) to Tilden (4.2M)
• Hayes winner
• Cleveland (5.5M) to B. Harrison (5.4)
• Harrison winner
• Gore v. Bush (2000)

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2000 Presidential Election
435 Representatives
100 Senators
3 Electoral Votes for Washington D.C.

______________
538 Electoral College Votes
Majority 270 Electoral College Votes
Candidate Electoral Votes
Popular Vote George W. Bush
271 50,456,002
Al Gore 266
50,999,897
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2 Electors Dont Have to Do What We Tell Them To

• Electors have refused to vote for their partys
  nominee
• 1796
• 1820
• 1948
• 1956
• 1960
• 1968
• 1972
• 1976
• 1988
• 2000
• 2004? an elector from MN voted for John Edwards
  (twice, Pres VP)