Omar Bennett
The Electoral College is a process, established by the Founding Fathers in the US Constitution to elect the President. It is a compromise between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and a popular vote of qualified citizens. The term electoral college does not appear in the Constitution, but Article II and the 12th Amendment refer to electors. The College consists of 538 electors, with each state having the same number of electors as it does Members in its Congressional delegation. The process includes the selection of electors, their meeting to vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of electoral votes by Congress. The College has faced criticism for its role in the election process, with proposals for reform or elimination.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Electors | 538 |
| Electors per State | Equal to the number of Senators and Representatives in Congress from that State |
| Electors' Votes | Electors meet in their respective States and vote for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State as themselves |
| Appointment of Electors | Each State shall appoint Electors in a manner as directed by the State Legislature |
| Vote Counting | 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 |
| Election of the President | The Person having the greatest Number of Votes shall be the President, if such a number is a Majority of the whole Number of Electors appointed |
| Election of the Vice President | The Person having the greatest Number of Votes of the Electors shall be the Vice President |
| Contingency | If no Person has a Majority of the Electors' votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose by Ballot one of the five highest on the List for President |
| Quorum | A quorum shall consist of a Member or Members from two-thirds of the States, and a Majority of all the States shall be necessary for a Choice |
| Constitutional Basis | Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College
The process for choosing the President and Vice President is outlined in Article II, Section 1, Clause 3 of the Constitution. Each State shall appoint a number of Electors equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress. The Electors then 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. The votes are then counted, and the person with the greatest number of votes becomes President, provided that they have a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed. If no person has a majority, then the House of Representatives chooses the President from the five candidates with the most votes.
The Electoral College has undergone some changes since its establishment, with the 12th Amendment being ratified in 1804 to address a tie vote between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr in the 1800 presidential election. The Electoral College system has changed little since then, but the popular vote has been rightfully guaranteed to millions more previously denied on the basis of race, gender, and age.
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The term electoral college does not appear in the Constitution
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. However, the term "electoral college" does not appear in the Constitution. Instead, Article II of the Constitution and the 12th Amendment refer to "electors."
The Electoral College is a process, not a place. It is a complex and non-uniform state-based process designed to filter public opinion through a "deliberative" intermediate institution. 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. There are 538 electors, and a majority of 270 electoral votes are required to elect the President.
The voters in each state choose electors to serve in the Electoral College. The State Executive of each state then signs the Certificate of Ascertainment to appoint the electors chosen in the general election. The electors in each state meet to select the President and Vice President of the United States, and Congress counts the votes in a joint session. Finally, the President-Elect is sworn in as President of the United States.
The Electoral College has been a source of recurring political controversy and has experienced significant constitutional, legislative, and political upheaval and revision. Over the past 200 years, more than 700 proposals have been introduced in Congress to reform or eliminate the Electoral College. 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.
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The process for choosing the 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 election by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The term "electoral college" does not appear in the Constitution, but Article II and the 12th Amendment refer to "electors".
The Electoral College is a process in which electors or representatives from each state, in a number proportional to the state's population, cast their votes. The candidate who receives the majority of votes from a state's population will receive all of that state's electoral votes. The candidate with the most electoral votes becomes President.
The process begins with candidates from the two main political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, campaigning throughout the country to win support. They participate in televised debates, where they answer tough questions and defend their policies.
On Election Day, voters in each state choose electors to serve in the Electoral College. The State Executive of each state then signs a Certificate of Ascertainment to appoint the electors. The electors meet to select the President and Vice President, and Congress meets to count the votes. Finally, the President-Elect is inaugurated in January.
There have been many proposals to reform or eliminate the Electoral College, as it has been criticised as "archaic" and "ambiguous". However, no amendments to the system have been passed by Congress.
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The role of electors in the Electoral College
The Constitution contains very few provisions relating to the qualifications of electors. Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 states that no Senator, Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector. The 14th Amendment disqualifies state officials who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the United States. The selection of electors is a two-part process. First, the political parties in each state choose slates of potential electors before the general election. Each candidate running for President has their own group of electors, chosen by the candidate's political party.
On Election Day, voters in each state choose electors to serve in the Electoral College. The winning candidate's state political party selects the individuals who will be electors. Electors then meet in their respective states to cast their official votes for President and Vice President. While the Constitution does not require electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their states, several states have passed laws to punish "faithless electors" who do not abide by the state's popular vote.
The Electoral College has faced significant criticism and proposals for reform or elimination. Critics argue that it drags down voter turnout, reduces the field of play to "swing states", and dramatically polarizes the nation's politics. However, supporters credit it with preserving an important dimension of state-based federalism and ensuring that Presidents have nationwide support.
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The selection of electors and their votes
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 the election of the President by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The term "electoral college" does not appear in the Constitution, but Article II and the 12th Amendment refer to "electors".
The selection of electors is a two-part process. First, the political parties in each state choose slates of potential electors before the general election. These potential electors are often chosen to recognise their service and dedication to the political party. Secondly, during the general election, voters in each state select their state's electors by casting their ballots for the presidential candidate of their choice. The winning candidate's slate of electors is then appointed as the state's electors. The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of members of the House of Representatives plus two senators.
The electors are expected to be an independent body, chosen for their superior discernment, virtue, and information. However, critics argue that electors have become "mere agents" who vote according to the will of their constituents rather than their own judgment. Electors are prohibited from holding any office of trust or profit under the United States and must not exhibit any bias towards the President.
After the general election, the state's executive prepares a Certificate of Ascertainment, listing the names of the individuals on the slates for each candidate and the number of votes they received. The electors then meet in their respective states to cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. The results are sent to Congress, where they are counted and tabulated before a joint meeting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. A majority of 270 electoral votes are required to elect the President. If no candidate receives a majority of votes, a contingent election takes place, where the House of Representatives holds a presidential election session, with each state casting one vote.
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Frequently asked questions
The term "Electoral College" does not appear in the Constitution. However, Article II and the 12th Amendment refer to "electors".
The Electoral College is a process for selecting the President and Vice President of the United States. It consists of 538 electors from the states and the District of Columbia.
The Electoral College process involves three steps: the selection of electors, the meeting of electors where they vote for President and Vice President, and the counting of electoral votes by Congress.
Each state appoints electors, with the number of electors equal to the state's Congressional delegation. The selection method varies by state, but often involves a "winner-take-all" system where the candidate who wins the state's popular vote receives all of that state's electors.
The Electoral College is constitutionally mandated, so abolishing it would require a constitutional amendment. However, states have some flexibility in how their electors are chosen. Over the years, there have been numerous proposals to reform or eliminate the Electoral College, but none have been passed by Congress.
