Jonah Patel
The Electoral College is a process that was established by the Founding Fathers 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. The College consists of 538 electors, who meet and vote in December, with the inaugurations of the President and Vice President taking place in January. The Electoral College process includes the selection of the electors, the meeting of the electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of the electoral votes by Congress. The College has been criticised as archaic and ambiguous, and there have been many proposals for Constitutional amendments to change it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is the Electoral College? | A process, not a place. |
| Who established it? | The Founding Fathers. |
| Why was it established? | 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. |
| How many electors are there? | 538 electors. |
| How often are elections held? | Once every four years. |
| When are the elections held? | On the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. |
| When do electors meet and vote? | In December. |
| When do inaugurations take place? | In January. |
| How are electors chosen? | Electors are chosen by state chapters of nationally oriented political parties, by voters in primaries, or by state legislatures or parties themselves. |
| How many electors does each state get? | Each state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate). |
| Who appoints electors? | Each state legislature appoints electors. |
| Can federal office holders be named electors? | No. |
| Can electors vote against their pledge? | Yes, but they may be fined, disqualified, and replaced, or even prosecuted by their state. |
| Who counts the electoral votes? | Congress. |
| Can the Electoral College be changed? | Yes, but it would require a Constitutional amendment. |
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What You'll Learn
The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College
The Electoral College never meets as one body. Electors meet in their respective state capitals and cast their electoral votes separately for President and Vice President. The selection of electors, the meeting of electors, and the counting of electoral votes by Congress are all part of the Electoral College process.
The Electoral College has been criticised as "archaic" and "ambiguous", and there have been many proposals to amend or abolish it. However, it remains a part of the original design of the US Constitution, and any change to the system would require a Constitutional amendment.
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Electors are chosen by popular vote
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 the election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The Electoral College is a process that includes 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 process of selecting electors varies from state to state. Electors are typically chosen by state party convention, where each political party nominates a slate of electors, and a vote is held. In a smaller number of states, electors are chosen by a vote of the state party's central committee. Electors are often individuals who have shown service and dedication to their political party. They may be state elected officials, state party leaders, or people with a personal or political affiliation with their party's presidential candidate.
In some states, electors are nominated by voters in primaries, similar to other presidential candidates. In other states, electors are nominated in party conventions or appointed by the parties themselves. Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution requires each state legislature to determine how electors are chosen, but it prohibits federal officeholders from becoming electors.
While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states mandate this. Electors who vote against their state's popular vote, known as "faithless electors," may face consequences such as fines, disqualification, or legal prosecution.
The Electoral College system has been a subject of ongoing debate in the United States, with proposals for constitutional amendments to change or dismantle it.
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Electors meet in their respective states
The Electoral College is a process established by the Founding Fathers in the US Constitution. It involves 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 College consists of 538 electors, with each state having the same number of electors as it does members in its Congressional delegation.
The electors meet and vote in December, after the general election in November. They meet in their respective states, in the state capitals, and cast their electoral votes separately for President and Vice President. The meeting is opened by the election certification official, who reads the certificate of ascertainment, which lists the names of the individuals chosen to cast the electoral votes. The attendance of the electors is then taken, and any vacancies are noted. A president or chairman of the meeting is selected, sometimes with a vice chairman. While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states do. Electors generally follow a similar series of steps, but procedures may vary slightly between states.
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Electors vote for President and Vice President
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 the election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The Electoral College is a process consisting 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 Electoral College consists of 538 electors, with each state getting as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate). Each state's political parties choose their own slate of potential electors, and candidates for electors are nominated by state chapters of nationally oriented political parties in the months before Election Day. In some states, electors are nominated by voters in primaries, while in others, they are chosen by party conventions.
The general election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. When voting for a Presidential candidate, citizens are voting for that candidate's preferred electors. Most states have a "winner-take-all" system, awarding all electors to the candidate who wins the state's popular vote. After the election, each state's Executive prepares a Certificate of Ascertainment listing the names of the individuals on the slates for each candidate, the number of votes each received, and the appointed electors for the state.
The electors then meet and vote in December, casting their electoral votes separately for President and Vice President. While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states do, and electors who vote against their pledge may face consequences. The votes are then counted by Congress, and the inaugurations of the President and Vice President take place in January.
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Votes are counted by Congress
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 election by popular vote. The Electoral College is a process that consists of the selection of electors, the meeting of electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of electoral votes by Congress.
The process of using electors comes from the Constitution. Each state gets as many electors as it has Congressional members (from the House and Senate). The District of Columbia is allocated three electors and is treated like a state for Electoral College purposes. In total, there are 538 electors, and a majority of 270 electoral votes are required to elect the President.
The electors meet and vote in December, and the inaugurations of the President and Vice President take place in January. The electors meet in their respective state capitals and cast their electoral votes separately for President and Vice President. The meeting is opened by the election certification official, who reads the certificate of ascertainment, which sets forth who was chosen to cast the electoral votes. The attendance of the electors is taken, and any vacancies are noted.
The votes are then sent to the President of the Senate, who opens the certificates in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, and the votes are counted. If no candidate receives the majority of electoral votes, the vote goes to the House of Representatives.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the term "Electoral College" does not appear in the Constitution. However, 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 the election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens.
The electors meet and vote in their respective state capitals in mid-December, specifically on the Tuesday after the second Wednesday of the month.
There are 538 electors in total, including Washington, D.C.'s three electors.
The electors cast their electoral votes separately for President and Vice President.
