Elections are a two-part process Primary Election ** Primaries are important because voters get to narrow down the candidates that will represent their political party ** TWO TYPES Closed Primary Open Primary General Election
In all races EXCEPT the Presidential race, the candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote is elected into the office. Presidential elections occur every four years on even numbered years. Next Presidential Election will be 2016
The Popular Vote: The vote of the citizens! The majority vote of the people. The Electoral Vote: This process uses the winner-take-all system and is how a Presidential candidate is elected for office. There are 538 votes in the Electoral College.
The Electoral College was a compromise Some Founders wanted the American people to have direct control or a direct popular election. Others believed that the government must be able to function without giving in to popular whims or giving Congress the responsibility to name the President.
The compromise was to have the Legislatures in each state choose a slate of Presidential Electors. Today voters in each state directly choose the Electors. (tell them how to vote)
Congress: The law making body of the Legislative Branch. Broken up in to 2 parts: 1. The Senate: 200 total members, 2 per state 2. The House of Representatives: 435 total members, based on state population
As we watch the short clip record 2 facts in your notes section about the Electoral College register/electoral-college/about.html register/electoral-college/about.html
Electoral College Map Activity You will be given your own U.S. Electoral College Map to label results for a Presidential Election Label each state with the state name Label each state with the proper number of Electoral Votes ADD COLOR! To indicate WHO won what state color the states that voted for the Republican Candidate RED and the states that voted for the Democratic Candidate BLUE LAST: DO THE MATH! WHO WON?
Results…
a/action/yt/watch?v=bCjWPo70XZY a/action/yt/watch?v=bCjWPo70XZY