How do we elect the President?Unlike in most elections, the person who becomes president is not necessarily the candidate who wins the most votes on Election Day. Instead, the election of the president of the United States is a two-step process. Show
First, voters cast ballots on Election Day in each state. In nearly every state, the candidate who gets the most votes wins the "electoral votes" for that state, and gets that number of voters (or "electors") in the "Electoral College." Second, the "electors" from each of the 50 states gather in December and they vote for president. The person who receives a majority of votes from the "Electoral College" becomes President. How exactly does this work? Under the "Electoral College" system, each state is assigned a certain number of "votes". There are a total of 538 electoral votes, and the number of votes each state receives is proportional to its size --- the bigger the state's population the more "votes" it gets. The formula for determining the number of votes for each state is simple: each state gets two votes for its two US Senators, and then one more additional vote for each member it has in the House of Representatives. For California, this means we get 55 votes (2 senators and 53 members of the House of Representatives) --- the most of any state. How does California select its electors?On or before October 1 of the presidential election year, each party's nominee must file a list containing the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the 55 electors pledges to him/her. Each party determines its own method for selecting electors. In the Democratic Party, each congressional nominee and each US Senate nominee (determined by the last two elections) designates one elector. Elections Code section 7100 In the Republican Party, the nominees for Governor, Lt. Governor, Treasurer, Controller, Attorney General, Secretary of State, U.S. Senate at the last two elections, Assembly Republican leader, Senate Republican leader, all elected officers of the Republican State Central Committee, national committeemen/women, President of Republican County Central Committee Chairmen's Association, and chair or President of each Republican volunteer organization officially recognized by the Republican State Central Committee (RSCC) shall be electors. U.S. Senators, Representatives in Congress and persons holding office of trust or profit of the U.S. may not be electors. Any additional vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the chair of Republican State Central Committee according to Republican State Central Committee bylaws. Republican State Central Committee Chair must file the list with the Secretary of State by October 1 of the presidential election year. Elections Code section 7300 In the American Independent, Green and Libertarian party electors are nominated at their state convention and the state chair certifies their names and residence addresses to the Secretary of State. Elections Code section 7578 In the Peace and Freedom Party electors are nominated at their state convention. Electors shall be 50% women and 50% shall be men. The party chair certifies the list to the Secretary of State. Elections Code section 7843 No incumbent Senators, congressional representatives or persons holding an office of trust or profit of the United States can serve as electors. What happens if the electoral vote is a tie?The House of Representatives makes the decision with each state having one vote. Representatives of at least two-thirds of the states must be present for the vote. If they cannot decide by March 4, then the Vice President becomes President and the person receiving the largest number of Vice President votes becomes Vice President. Where can I find more information on the electoral college?This information and more is available at the National Archives and Record Administration's website. View the PDF version. OverviewEvery four years, we revisit debates about the Electoral College. While there is a lot of confusion about this “college,” it is central to our system of electing the President and Vice President of the United States. In short, the Electoral College is a group of “electors” who decide the President and Vice President for the following four years. When Americans go into the voting booth, they are not really voting for a candidate but rather for these electors who are expected to vote for their party’s nominee. Currently, there are 538 electors. The number of electors is based on the number of federal Representatives a state has, plus the two Senators each state gets. Under the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution, the District of Columbia gets 3 electors. Each state’s number of electors can change after the federal census that takes place every ten years – when the number of House members for an individual state can either increase or decrease. The Electoral College never meets as a collective group. Rather, each state brings its slate of electors together after the election on the second Wednesday of December. Then, states send their votes to the President of the Senate who reads the results to both chambers on January 6th. For a Presidential ticket to win, it must get at least 270 electoral votes. If that does not happen, the House of Representatives votes for the President, and the Senate votes for the Vice President. Who are the electors?Electors are those who are designated by their respective state political parties to vote for their party’s candidate should that candidate win the popular vote in their state. If the Democrat wins, for example, the Democratic electors for that state are expected to vote for that candidate. Almost anyone can be selected as an elector except federal Representatives and Senators and those considered to be in “Trust or Profit” offices under the Constitution (generally executive appointments). Typically, electors are party activists and elected state officials. There is no constitutional obligation for an elector to vote for the nominated ticket once that ticket has won; however, many states have set punitive rules – ranging from monetary fines to criminal charges – for those who don’t. In reality, only a handful of electors have ever voted for a different candidate (called “faithless electors”). Can Someone Lose the Popular Vote but Win the Electoral College?Yes. It has happened 5 times, most recently between President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016. Hillary Clinton won almost 3 million more popular votes but President Trump won 304 electoral college votes. Andrew Jackson (1824), Samuel Tilden (1876), Grover Cleveland (1888), and Al Gore (2000) also won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote. This can happen, in part, since a candidate can win the majority of voters in a state with a smaller number of electoral votes but barely win one with a larger allocation. What if 270 Votes Aren’t Reached?If neither President Trump nor Vice President Biden secures 270 electoral college votes in the 2020 presidential election, the House of Representatives will select the next president. Under the 12th Amendment to the Constitution, every state’s delegation in the House casts a single vote for the president. The vote is determined by an internal tally of each lawmaker in each state delegation. States whose delegations reach a tie are not counted. Currently, Republicans control 26 delegations and Democrats control 22. Pennsylvania is tied and Michigan has a 7-6 plurality for Democrats, with a 14th seat held by independent Justin Amash. Because the vote would take place after January 6th, the delegation totals will change to reflect the results of 2020 House races. Why This System?Many historians say this system was a major compromise during the Constitutional Convention. Some wanted the House of Representatives to elect the President, others the state legislatures and still others a strict popular vote. In the end, the Founders compromised on a system where American voters select a slate of electors who then vote for the winning candidate, yet another example of how the Founders wanted a varied system of checks and balances. CriticismsOne of the obvious criticisms comes from those who think Americans should directly elect the person who will hold the highest political office. Others believe that larger states (California has 55 electoral votes) garner too much leverage in an election under this system. The Electoral College is integral to our Presidential election system. Despite its many criticisms, it is unlikely to change. To change or update the Electoral College takes an amendment to the Constitution, and there is currently no major movement in Congress or the states to do so. Key Facts
Links to Other Resources
What is the minimum number of electoral votes for a state quizlet?what is the lowest number of electors a state can have? 3; because every state has at least 1 person in the house of representatives and every state has only 2 senates because of the Great Compromise.
What is the minimum number of electoral votes needed to win?How many electoral votes are necessary to win the presidential election? 270. In order to become president, a candidate must win more than half of the votes in the Electoral College.
How many votes does each state have?The formula for determining the number of votes for each state is simple: each state gets two votes for its two US Senators, and then one more additional vote for each member it has in the House of Representatives.
What is the minimum number of votes required to win the Electoral College quizlet?To win the national election a candidate must win the majority of the electoral votes (270 or more).
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