Eleanor Finch
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 a popular vote of qualified citizens. The process involves the selection of electors, who meet and vote for the President and Vice President, with Congress counting the votes. While the Constitution does not require electors to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote, some states do. The Electoral College has been a subject of ongoing debate in the US, with critics arguing that it is not representative of the popular will of the nation and supporters crediting it with preserving an important dimension of state-based federalism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Electors | 538 |
| Electors per State | Equal to the number of members of Congress (House and Senate) |
| Majority Electoral Votes needed to elect the President | 270 |
| Date of Electors' Meeting | Mid-December |
| Date of Inauguration | January 20 |
| Constitutional Amendment to change the process | Yes |
| Number of Amendments submitted | More than any other part of the Constitution |
| Process | Not a place, a selection of electors, their meeting, and the counting of votes by Congress |
| Electors' Voting Process | Electors are not bound to vote for the candidate chosen by their state's popular vote |
Explore related products
$7.99 $15.99
$9.99 $9.99
What You'll Learn
- The Electoral College is a process, not a place
- The Electoral College is a compromise between Congress and popular vote
- The process for choosing the President blends federal and national aspects
- The College has produced recurring political controversy
- Critics argue the Electoral College consigns most states to spectator status
The Electoral College is a process, not a place
The Electoral College process involves selecting electors, who then meet and vote for the President and Vice President. The number of electors each state appoints is equal to the size of its Congressional delegation (its number of members of the House of Representatives plus two senators). Each state is entitled to a minimum of three electors. The District of Columbia is allocated three electors and is treated like a state for Electoral College purposes under the 23rd Amendment.
The electors are chosen by each state's political parties, and the method of selection varies by state. Electors are appointed by the State Executive of each state, who signs a Certificate of Ascertainment to appoint the electors chosen in the general election. Electors are expected to support their party's nominees, and some states prohibit faithless electors. Electors meet and vote in December, and the votes are counted in a joint session of Congress in January, with the Vice President presiding. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President.
The Electoral College has been a subject of ongoing debate in the United States. Critics argue that it is not representative of the popular will of the nation and that it reduces voter turnout in some states. Supporters contend that it ensures that Presidents have nationwide support and promotes state-based federalism. Amendments to change the Electoral College process have been proposed but have not gained widespread adoption.
Framers' Intent: A Contentious Constitution?
You may want to see also
The Electoral College is a compromise between Congress and popular vote
The United States elects its president and vice president through the Electoral College, a process established in Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution. This process involves selecting electors, who then vote for the president and vice president, with Congress counting the electoral votes. The Founding Fathers designed the Electoral College as a compromise between electing the president through a popular vote of qualified citizens and a vote in Congress.
The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, with each state having the same number of electors as its members in Congress (the House of Representatives plus two senators). This allocation gives each state a minimum of three electors, regardless of its population. The District of Columbia is treated like a state for the Electoral College and also has three electors.
The process of selecting electors varies by state, with each state's political party choosing its own method. Electors are typically chosen based on how they pledge to vote for president and vice president, and some states prohibit "faithless electors" who do not vote according to their pledge. On Election Day in November, each state holds a popular vote to choose its electors, and the electors meet and vote in December.
The Electoral College has been a subject of ongoing debate in the United States, with critics arguing that it is not representative of the popular will of the nation and that it reduces voter turnout in some states. There have been numerous proposals to amend or abolish the Electoral College, but it remains the process by which the president and vice president are elected.
Small Ears and FAS: Is There a Link?
You may want to see also
The process for choosing the President blends federal and national aspects
The process for choosing the President of the United States is a blend of federal and national aspects. The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College process in the Constitution, as a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and a popular vote of qualified citizens. The Electoral College is a process, not a place.
The election of the President is conducted on a state-by-state basis, with state legislatures determining how their electors are selected. The number of each state's electoral votes is based on its total number of representatives and senators, or its relative population. Each state gets 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 the process varies by state.
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. Electors are appointed and act under the Constitution of the United States, and while they are not officers or agents of the United States, they are expected to support the party nominees. Electors meet and vote in December, and the inauguration of the President and Vice President takes place in January.
The Electoral College has been a subject of ongoing debate in the United States, with critics arguing that it is not representative of the popular will of the nation and that it reduces voter turnout in some states. However, supporters argue that it requires presidential candidates to have broad appeal across the country and guarantees that Presidents will have nationwide support.
Exploring the Isomeric Diversity of C6H14 Compounds
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The College has produced recurring political controversy
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 process has been a source of recurring political controversy over the centuries, with critics arguing that it is not representative of the popular will of the nation.
One of the main criticisms of the Electoral College is that it reduces voter turnout in some states and effectively consigns them to ""spectator" status in presidential elections. This is because the current system dramatically polarizes the nation's politics, reducing the real field of play to fewer than a dozen "swing states". As a result, candidates tend to focus their attention on these swing states, while most states are relegated to spectator status.
Another criticism is that the distribution of electors gives individual citizens in states with smaller populations more voting power than those in larger states. For example, each state is entitled to a minimum of three electors, regardless of its population. This inequity contradicts the principle of "one person, one vote".
The Electoral College has also been criticized for its potential to elect a president who does not win the popular vote. This has occurred five times in US history, in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016. In these cases, the runner-up in the nationwide popular vote ultimately became president due to the allocation of electoral votes.
The controversy surrounding the Electoral College has led to numerous attempts to amend or abolish the system. While an amendment to abolish the Electoral College was approved by the House in 1969, it failed to pass the Senate. Other proposed constitutional amendments for direct popular elections have also made little headway. Despite the ongoing debate and efforts for reform, the Electoral College remains the process by which the President and Vice President of the United States are elected.
Constitution and Same-Sex Marriage: What's the Link?
You may want to see also
Critics argue the Electoral College consigns most states to spectator status
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 of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The Electoral College is a process, not a place, and it consists of 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.
Critics argue that the Electoral College is less democratic than a national direct popular vote and is subject to manipulation because of faithless electors. The system is seen as antithetical to a democracy that strives for a standard of "one person, one vote", and there have been elections where one candidate wins the national popular vote but another wins the electoral vote, as in the 2000 and 2016 elections. Critics also point out that individual citizens in less populated states with 5% of the Electoral College have proportionately more voting power than those in larger states. This is because the number of electors each state appoints is equal to the size of its congressional delegation, with each state entitled to at least three electors regardless of its population. This distribution of electors means that candidates can win by focusing on just a few "swing states", consigning most other states to spectator status.
Supporters of the Electoral College credit it with preserving an important dimension of state-based federalism in presidential elections and argue that it guarantees that Presidents will have nationwide support. They argue that it creates a needed balance between rural and urban interests and ensures that the winning candidate has support from multiple regions of the country. The Electoral College was created to protect the voices of the minority from being overwhelmed by the will of the majority, with the Founding Fathers wanting to balance the will of the populace against the risk of "tyranny of the majority".
Critics have proposed constitutional amendments for different plans for a direct popular election, but these have made little headway. An alternative plan to address the problems of the Electoral College is the National Popular Vote Plan, which began in Maryland in 2007 and has since gained support from several other states.
The Legend Rule: Understanding MTG's Identity Crisis
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. It is a means of electing the President of the United States.
The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College in the Constitution. Each state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress (House and Senate). The electors meet and vote in December, and the inauguration of the President takes place in January.
Electors are chosen by a statewide or district-wide popular vote on Election Day in November. Each state's political parties choose their own slate of potential electors.
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 pledge may be fined, disqualified, and replaced, or even prosecuted by their state.
The Electoral College process is outlined in the Constitution, and it would take a constitutional amendment to change it. More resolutions have been submitted to amend the Electoral College mechanism than any other part of the Constitution.
