It was devised by the founders as a means of resolving two concerns. It is important to note that the electoral college is not a place but a process. Voters do not directly elect the president or vice president. It also involves an electoral vote counting by congress. The founding fathers established it in the constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the president by a vote in congress and election of the president by a popular vote of. When voters go to the polls on tuesday, they will be choosing which candidate receives their states electors. The electoral college process consists of the selection of the electors. The electoral college explained christina greer crashcourse.
This video gives a short overview of the electoral college and what roles it serves in u. The larger the electoral college, the more likely it will reflect the outcome of the popular vote. The electoral college was established by the founding fathers as a compromise between election of the president by congress and election by popular vote. In the case of the 2000 election, for all house sizes less than 492, the electoral college goes to bush. The voters of each state, and the district of columbia, vote for electors to be the authorized constitutional members in a presidential election. The united states is a republic of states and each state should be able to apportion its electorates as it sees fit. The electoral college is a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the united states. Americans who go to the polls on election day dont actually dont select the president directly. The presidential electors nearly always vote the same way in december as the voters in their states. Last updated december 1, 2016 what is the electoral college. The us does not elect its presidents by popular vote, but it conducts such election through a process called the electoral college. The twelfth amendment amendment xii to the united states constitution provides the procedure for electing the president and vice president.
The pros and cons of raising the minimum wage pro 2. The electoral college website now has an easytoremember address. The amendment was proposed by the congress on december 9, 1803, and was ratified by the requisite three. The troubling reason the electoral college exists time. Electoral college on behalf of the archivist of the united states, the states, the congress, and the american people. 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.
Some delegates at the 1787 constitutional convention wanted congress to choose the president while others preferred a democratic popular vote. The office of the federal register coordinates the functions of the u. How the electoral college influences campaigns and policy. The people of the united states vote for the electors who then vote for the president.
Pdf election inversions by the us electoral college researchgate. It is a procedure that is comprised of a selection of electors who would meet to conduct the selection of the president and the vice president. Southerner thomas jefferson, for example, won the election of 180001 against northerner john adams in a race where the slaveryskew of the electoral college was the decisive margin of victory. The electoral college is how the united states selects the next president and vice president. For a more in depth look into the electoral college and how it works, visit the national archives and administrations u. It is not a building or institution, rather the college is really just a way to name a group of 538 people who are the formal electors. There are 538 popularlyelected members of the electoral college, allotted to each of the 50 states and the district of columbia based on their representation in the us congress. For the second time in as many decades, a constitutional appendix has foiled the will of the majority of us voters. The electoral college is a process that began as part of the original design of the u. Typically, the electoral college meets and does its thing a month or so after the election, and few people even notice or care.
The electoral college system is respected for its historical roots and because it does usually reflect the popular vote 48 out of 52 elections since. The electoral college is a constitutional process established by the founding fathers to elect the president and vice president of the united states. We hope that this issue of ejournal usa will improve your understanding of the. The electoral college is a process the founding fathers established in the constitution as a compromise between election of the president by a vote in congress and election of the president by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The electoral college is a national security threat. The founders believed that most common citizens of the day were poorly educated and. 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. 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. The electoral college system was established by article ii of the u. The electoral college keeps high population states and regions from deciding the presidency. Twelfth amendment to the united states constitution. This election result is sometimes referred to, particularly by.
For more educational teaching resources visit uk parl. The electoral college explained the new york times. It replaced the procedure provided in article ii, section 1, clause 3, by which the electoral college originally functioned. 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. What is the electoral college, and why does the united. The electoral college gives small states more weight in the political process than their population would otherwise confer. Without the electoral college, a huge popular margin in one state like california or texas could decide the entire election. The constitution doesnt require electors to follow their states popular vote, but its rare for one not to. 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. But the actual electoral college vote takes place in middecember when the electors meet in their states.
The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, constituted every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states. How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 2 of this eventuality, which occurred previously in 1876, 1888, and 2000. The original purpose of the electoral college was to reconcile differing state and federal interests, provide a degree of popular participation in. Click states on this interactive map to create your own 2020 election forecast.
The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii. In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in november after you vote. A guide to the us political system aimed at a level students, explaining how elections work in the usa. In any event, the 1960 election is excluded from this analysis because a third. Congress, senate, the constitution of the united states of america, analysis and interpretation, pp. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. 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. The electoral college explained your vote doesnt exactly decide who becomes president.
Still, the electoral college continues to recognize that americans vote by statein the same way that they elect the senate and the house, and the same way that they voted those many years ago to ratify the constitution. Explain, as simply as possible, the electoral college. Instead, voters vote for their preferred president and vice president pair. Disadvantages and advantages of electoral college connectus. The us electoral college was established by the us constitution as the body which directly elects the us president and vice president. Create a specific matchup by clicking the party andor names near the electoral vote counter. For all house sizes greater than 654, gore would have been elected president for house sizes between 492 and 654, a troubling scenario is created. Use the buttons below the map to share your forecast or embed it into a web page. A us president is elected via the electoral college system.
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