The The Electoral College Electoral College of the United Statesof the United States

Emily Halstead and Ana Pettit

The Constitutional ConventionThe Constitutional Convention

• The men of the Constitutional Convention feared a government of corruption and abuse of power.

• A popular election, however, would have been inefficient and illogical.

• They eventually agreed that having a system of electors would thus ensure that those who decided upon the nation’s leader had plenty of distance and between them.

• • Similarly, outside groups could not

corrupt the electors by serving any single, similar interest.

• Each state would be allowed a number Each state would be allowed a number of electors equal to the of electors equal to the number of number of its Senators and members of the its Senators and members of the House of Representatives.House of Representatives.

• Electors were to meet in their Electors were to meet in their own own state capitols and cast two votes state capitols and cast two votes apiece.apiece.

• Votes would then be sent to the Votes would then be sent to the President of the Senate to open in President of the Senate to open in the presence of the Senate and the presence of the Senate and House. House.

The Original Electoral College

•The candidate receiving the The candidate receiving the majority of votes majority of votes would win would win presidency, and the runner-presidency, and the runner-up was to become Vice up was to become Vice PresidentPresident. .

•Should a candidate fail to Should a candidate fail to obtain a majority of electoral obtain a majority of electoral votes, then one votes, then one House House representative from each representative from each state would be allowed to state would be allowed to cast a single votecast a single vote in order in order to determine the champion. to determine the champion.

• The original structure of the The original structure of the Electoral College lasted through four Electoral College lasted through four election cycles. election cycles. – The Election of 1800 had been The Election of 1800 had been

decided by the House of decided by the House of Representatives after a tie Representatives after a tie between Thomas Jefferson and between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. Aaron Burr.

• The Twelfth Amendment was The Twelfth Amendment was adopted in 1804. adopted in 1804.

The Early Days

Choosing Electors

•An elector may potentially be any An elector may potentially be any person who is not a member of person who is not a member of Congress or holding offices of “trust or Congress or holding offices of “trust or profit”.profit”.

Certain Specifics

• Since 1845 all presidential elections have taken place on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

• In any given presidential election there are 538 available electoral votes:

• # is based on the number of representatives and Senators each state has plus Washington, D.C. *435 +100+3=538

•A candidate must win 270 A candidate must win 270 electoral votes to become electoral votes to become President President

•Today, all but two states Today, all but two states have a winner-take-all have a winner-take-all system. system. (Nebraska and (Nebraska and Maine)Maine)

•Presidential Election Interactive Map and History of the Electoral College

State Republican Democrats

Georgia

Texas

California

Missouri

New York

Wyoming

538 538All 50 states +

Washington, D.C.

How the Winner-takes-All works---

Arguments Against the Electoral College

• A candidate who does not win the A candidate who does not win the majority of popular vote nationally majority of popular vote nationally could potentially be elected could potentially be elected president. president.

• The plurality-based winner-take-all The plurality-based winner-take-all system makes it virtually impossible system makes it virtually impossible for a third party candidate to obtain for a third party candidate to obtain electoral votes.electoral votes.

• Since 1796 nine elections have Since 1796 nine elections have experienced “faithless electors”.experienced “faithless electors”.

Support of the Electoral College

• It usually produces a clear winner – only 2 elections decided in House of Representatives.

• It maintains the federal system and requires that the president have distribution of popular support.

• It supports the two-party system.

PROPOSED PLANS FOR REVISION

1.Direct Popular Election: (most people support)

2.Proportional Method: Divide the electoral votes of a state in direct proportion to the popular vote in the state.

Example: State A has 10 electoral votesCandidate A receives 60% of popular vote= 6

electoral votes

Revisions, cont.

3. District Method: 1 elector from each of the nation’s 435 congressional districts with 2 at-large electors. People of each district would choose their electors, and they would cast their vote in accordance with the popular vote of their district. The candidate who wins the state’s total popular votes wins the 2 at-large electoral votes.

Final Revision

4. Automatic Plan: Each state’s electoral votes would be preserved, but the electors themselves would be abolished. The electoral vote of each state would be cast automatically for the winner of a plurality in the state. Eliminate “faithless electors”