Simone Lawson
The Electoral College is a process 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 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 College consists of 538 electors, with a majority of 270 votes required to elect the President. The selection of electors is left to the states, with each state appointing a number of electors equal to its Congressional delegation. The Electoral College has been a source of political controversy, with critics arguing that it consigns most states to spectator status in presidential elections and reduces voter turnout.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of Electoral College | It is a process, not a place |
| Purpose | To elect the President and Vice President of the United States |
| Number of Electors | 538 |
| Majority Requirement | 270 electoral votes |
| Distribution of Electors | Each state appoints electors equal to its Congressional delegation (number of Representatives plus two Senators) |
| Elector Selection | Each state determines the manner of selection, but federal office holders are prohibited from being named electors |
| Voting Procedure | Electors meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for two persons, at least one of whom is not an inhabitant of the same state |
| Certificate of Ascertainment | Prepared by each state after the election, listing candidates, pledged electors, and total votes received |
| Counting of Votes | Congress meets to count electoral votes, with each state having one vote |
| Constitutional Amendments | Proposed amendments for direct popular election have not gained traction; the National Popular Vote Plan is a recent alternative approach |
| Criticisms | Critics argue that it reduces most states to "spectator" status, lowers voter turnout, and increases political polarization |
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What You'll Learn
The role of electors
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 election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The College consists of 538 electors, with each state appointing a number of electors equal to that state's congressional delegation.
Electors meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for two persons, at least one of whom must not be an inhabitant of the same state as themselves. They then make a list of the persons voted for and the number of votes each person received. This list is signed, certified, and transmitted sealed 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.
While electors are expected to support the party nominees, they are not constitutionally prohibited from announcing their choice beforehand. However, electors are not required to vote for a particular candidate, and they have the freedom to vote as they choose.
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Selection of electors
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. It was 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 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 selection of electors is a state-based process, designed to filter public opinion through a "deliberative" intermediate institution. There is no uniform national system for appointing electors, and state legislatures do not have to consult the public. Each state appoints electors in a manner directed by its legislature, and electors are not officers or agents of the United States. While most states have a "winner-take-all" system, Maine and Nebraska have a variation of "proportional representation."
After the election, each state prepares Certificates of Ascertainment, listing the candidates for president and vice president, their pledged electors, and the total votes each candidacy received. The Certificates are sent to the National Archivist in Washington, D.C., and then to Congress to be opened and counted. Electors meet in their respective state capitals and cast their votes for president and vice president separately.
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The voting process
During the general election, voters cast their ballots for their preferred presidential candidate. However, in most cases, they are technically voting for their state's electors who support that candidate. The candidates running for president and vice president are always listed together on the ballot, representing a single joint choice. The winners of the popular vote in each state typically secure all of that state's electoral votes, except in Maine and Nebraska, which award one electoral vote to the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district and two votes to the statewide winner.
After the general election, the selected electors meet in their respective state capitals, or in the nation's capital, to cast their votes for president and vice president. They sign certificates indicating their votes, which are then sent to various officials, including the President of the Senate and the Archivist of the United States. Federal law mandates that the electors cast their votes on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, ensuring a uniform date nationwide.
The votes of the electors are then officially counted in a joint session of Congress presided over by the sitting vice president, who serves as the President of the Senate. The certificates are opened and the votes are counted, with the results announced and recorded. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of electoral votes (currently 270 out of 538), the election is decided by the House of Representatives, with each state delegation casting a single vote.
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Counting the votes
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. 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 qualified citizens. The process 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.
The U.S. Constitution directs each state to appoint a number of electors equal to that state's congressional delegation (the number of members of the House of Representatives plus two senators). The same clause empowers each state legislature to determine the manner by which that state's electors are chosen but prohibits federal office holders from being named electors. The electors are not officers or agents of the United States.
After the election, each state prepares seven Certificates of Ascertainment, each listing the candidates for president and vice president, their pledged electors, and the total votes each candidacy received. One certificate is sent, as soon after Election Day as practicable, to the National Archivist in Washington. The Certificates of Ascertainment are mandated to carry the state seal and the signature of the governor, or mayor of D.C. The electors meet in their respective state capitals (electors for the District of Columbia meet within the District) on the same day (set by Congress as the Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December) at which time they cast their electoral votes on separate ballots for president and vice president.
The electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state as themselves. They shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each; which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted.
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Historical context
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The Founding Fathers established it 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 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 Founding Fathers established the Electoral College in the Constitution, in part, 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 number of electors each state appoints is equal to the number of members of the House of Representatives plus two senators.
The Twelfth Amendment, ratified in 1804, superseded Article II, Section 1, Clause 3, which outlined the process for selecting the President and Vice President. The Electoral College has been a topic of considerable interest and has undergone significant constitutional, legislative, and political upheaval and revision.
The selection of electors has been a contentious issue, with some advocating for a district plan and others for a general ticket system. The Supreme Court has ruled that the appointment and mode of appointment of electors belong exclusively to the states, and there is no uniform national system for appointing electors. The electors are not considered officers or agents of the United States and are free to vote as they choose.
The Electoral College process has produced recurring political controversies, such as the 1800 election where a tie between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr resulted in a "contingent election" in the House of Representatives. Critics argue that the Electoral College reduces voter turnout, polarizes politics, and consigns most states to "spectator" status in presidential elections. Proposed constitutional amendments for direct popular elections have made little headway.
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Frequently asked questions
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. It was 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 Electoral College consists of 538 electors. Each state appoints electors equal to the number of members of the House of Representatives plus two senators. The electors meet in their respective states and vote for the President and Vice President. The votes are then counted by Congress. A majority of 270 electoral votes are required to elect the President.
The method of choosing electors varies from state to state. Most states have a "winner-take-all" system where electors are awarded to the candidate who wins the state's popular vote. However, the Constitution does not explicitly require states to popularly elect their electors.
Critics argue that the Electoral College consigns most states to "spectator" status in presidential elections, reduces voter turnout, and dramatically polarizes the nation's politics. Proposed constitutional amendments for a direct popular election have not gained much traction.
