Jonah Patel
The Electoral College is a process established by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The College consists of electors appointed and acting under the Constitution of the United States, with each state getting as many electors as it has members of Congress. The process of choosing the President and Vice President involves the selection of electors, the meeting of the electors, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress. The Founding Fathers had four main objectives for the Electoral College, including providing the presidency with its own base of support and supplying a basis of popular legitimacy for the president.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Objective | To provide the presidency with its own base of support |
| To supply a basis of popular legitimacy for the president | |
| Number of Electors | 538 |
| Electors' Appointment | Appointed by the State Executive of each state |
| Electors' Meeting | First Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December after the general election |
| Electors' Vote | Electors vote for President and Vice President |
| Counting of Votes | Congress meets in joint session to count the electoral votes |
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What You'll Learn
- The Electoral College was established by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution
- The Electoral College is a process, not a place
- Electors are appointed and act under the Constitution, but are not officers or agents of the United States
- Electors are chosen by each state and the District of Columbia
- Electors meet in their respective states to vote for President and Vice President
The Electoral College was established by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution
The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College in the US Constitution as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. This process is outlined in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the Constitution, which sets out the procedure for selecting the President and Vice President.
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. It consists of the selection of electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress. Each state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate). The Founding Fathers had four main objectives for the Electoral College. Firstly, it was created to provide the presidency with its own base of support, as an alternative to the selection of the president by Congress, which risked making the executive subservient to the legislature. Secondly, the Founding Fathers sought to supply a basis of popular legitimacy for the president. The Electoral College was a popular process under which the Electors would be chosen either by the people or the state legislatures. Thirdly, the use of electors was intended to account for differences among the states as to whom they granted suffrage. Finally, the Electoral College was designed to filter public opinion through a "deliberative" intermediate institution.
The process of selecting electors is as follows. First, the voters in each state choose electors to serve in the Electoral College. Next, the State Executive of each state signs the Certificate of Ascertainment to appoint the electors chosen in the general election. Then, the electors meet in their respective states, where they cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. The votes are recorded on a Certificate of Vote, which is sent to Congress, where the votes are counted, and to NARA, as part of the official records of the Presidential election. Each state's electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors.
The Electoral College has been amended and revised over the years, and it has produced recurring political controversy. It is possible to win the Electoral College but lose the popular vote, as has happened five times in US history.
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The Electoral College is a process, not a place
The Founding Fathers had four main objectives for the Electoral College. Firstly, it was created to provide the presidency with its own base of support, preventing the executive from being subservient to the legislature. Secondly, the Electoral College was designed to give the president a basis of popular legitimacy. Thirdly, the Electoral College was intended to account for differences among the states regarding whom they granted suffrage. Finally, the Electoral College was established as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and a popular vote of qualified citizens.
The process of the Electoral College involves voters in each state choosing electors to serve in the Electoral College. These electors are generally chosen by the candidate's political party, but the specific method varies by state. The electors then meet in their respective states and cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. The votes are recorded on a Certificate of Vote, which is sent to Congress to be counted.
The Electoral College process has been the subject of recurring political controversy and has undergone significant constitutional, legislative, and political revision over the years. While it provides a deliberative intermediate institution to filter public opinion, it has also resulted in instances where the winner of the Electoral College lost the popular vote.
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Electors are appointed and act under the Constitution, but are not officers or agents of the United States
The Electoral College is a process established by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution. It involves the selection of electors, who then meet and vote for the President and Vice President. The Constitution outlines that each state shall appoint electors, but it does not specify the method of appointment, leaving this to the state legislatures. The appointed electors are not considered officers or agents of the United States.
Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution, known as the "Electors Clause," specifies that no Senator, Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States shall be appointed an elector. This clause ensures that the electors are independent and not directly affiliated with the federal government.
The electors are chosen by the people or the state legislatures, and they act under the Constitution. However, they are not considered officers or agents of the United States in the same way that members of state legislatures are not considered officers when acting as electors of federal senators. This distinction is important because it emphasizes the independent nature of the electors' role in the Electoral College process.
The process of appointing electors varies across states, with some states allowing the political parties to choose their electors, while others have specific requirements for elector qualifications. The electors are expected to support the party nominees, and their votes are recorded on a Certificate of Vote, which is sent to Congress for counting.
While the Constitution outlines the role and qualifications of electors, it does not provide for their appointment by popular vote. The appointment and mode of appointment of electors are left exclusively to the states under the Constitution. This flexibility has led to variations in how states choose their electors, with some states, like Nebraska and Maine, implementing proportional distribution.
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Electors are chosen by each state and the District of Columbia
The Electoral College is a process established by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The process involves the selection of electors, who then meet to vote for the President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress.
Each state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress (both House and Senate). The District of Columbia is allocated three electors and is treated like a state for the purposes of the Electoral College, bringing the total number of electors to 538.
The selection of electors is where the states and the District of Columbia have some autonomy. Each candidate running for President has their own group of electors, known as a slate. The electors are chosen by the candidate's political party in each state, but state laws vary on how they are selected and what their responsibilities are. The electors are then appointed by the State Executive of each state, who signs a Certificate of Ascertainment to confirm the electors chosen in the general election.
While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states do enforce this. Electors are not considered officers or agents of the United States, and they are free to vote for any candidate. However, electors who vote against their pledged candidate may face consequences, including fines, disqualification, or even prosecution by their state.
The selection of electors is a state-based process designed to filter public opinion through a "deliberative" intermediate institution. It was intended to provide the presidency with its own base of support and to give the president a basis of popular legitimacy.
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Electors meet in their respective states to vote for President and Vice President
The Electoral College is a process, not a place, established by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution. It is a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and the election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The Electoral College process consists of the selection of electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress.
The electors meet in their respective states to cast their votes for President and Vice President of the United States. This meeting takes place on the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December after the general election. The state legislature designates the location of the meeting, which is usually in the state capital. The electors' votes are recorded on a Certificate of Vote, which is prepared at the meeting and sent to Congress and NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) to be counted and included in the official records of the Presidential election.
Each state has the same number of electors as it does members of Congress (House and Senate). The District of Columbia is also allocated three electors and is treated like a state for the purposes of the Electoral College under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution. Thus, there are 538 electors in total. Each candidate running for President in a state has their own group of electors, known as a slate, generally chosen by the candidate's political party in that state. However, state laws vary on how electors are selected and their responsibilities. Electors are appointed on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November (Election Day).
While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states do. Electors who vote against their pledged candidate may face consequences such as fines, disqualification, or even prosecution by their state. In the rare case that an elector is unable to carry out their duties, a substitute elector is appointed according to the laws and procedures of their state.
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Frequently asked questions
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. It is a "deliberative" intermediate institution that filters public opinion.
Voters in each state choose electors to serve in the Electoral College. These electors then meet in their respective states and cast their votes for President and Vice President. The votes are then sent to Congress to be counted.
The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College in the Constitution as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and a popular vote of qualified citizens.
Electors are chosen by voters in each state. Each candidate running for President has their own group of electors, generally chosen by the candidate's political party.
The Electoral College was created to provide the presidency with its own base of support and to supply a basis of popular legitimacy for the president. It was also intended to account for differences among the states as to whom they granted suffrage.
