October 22, 2015

The Electoral College is the system established in the Constitution for the indirect election of the president and vice president. It was a compromise between direct election and having Congress choose the president.

Each state is entitled to as many electoral votes as the sum of its representatives in the U.S. House and Senate. Florida, for example, with 27 representatives and 2 senators, has 29 electoral votes; California, with 53 representatives and 2 senators, has 55. In 2012, Texas had 36 House members. How many electoral votes did Texas have? 38

The presidential election is actually 51 elections—an election in each of the 50 states and in the District of Columbia. Note: We do not choose the president with a national election. We select the president through a series of state elections held simultaneously in early November.

The next president will be the candidate with a majority of electoral votes: Senators—100 House members—435 District of Columbia—3 Total 538 Majority = 270 The candidate with the majority of the Electoral College vote wins regardless of the popular vote.

The Constitution empowers the states to determine the manner for selecting electors. Every state but Maine and Nebraska uses a winner-take-all election system.

When voters choose among candidates in November, they are literally casting their ballots for electors pledged to support particular presidential and vice presidential candidates. Texas voters select between competing sets of electors who cast the state’s electoral votes.

The state Democratic Party and the state Republican Party each put forward a group of individuals who will serve as the state’s electors if their candidate carries the state. The job of elector is honorary. It typically goes to a loyal party supporter. Members of Congress are ineligible. Important: Do not confuse electors and convention delegates. The former pick the president through the Electoral College. The latter vote for their political party’s nominee at a convention.

The Electoral College meets to vote for presidential candidates more than a month after the popular vote. In December, the electors selected on Election Day in November gather in their state's capital city to officially mark their ballots for president and vice president. Oklahoma electors casting their state’s electoral votes.

If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, Congress picks the president and vice president. House chooses president with each state having one vote Senate chooses VP This is possible only if more than two candidates receive electoral votes or there is a tie.

Faithless elector Popular vote winner loses electoral college vote Congress chooses president and vice president Al Gore won half a million more votes than George W. Bush, but Bush won the White House because he had more electoral votes. Bush won by carrying Florida by a few hundred votes, giving Bush all of that state’s electoral votes. Trivia: Who was governor of Florida in 2000? Jeb Bush, bother of George W. Bush

Direct popular election is the reform with the most support, but it would require a constitutional amendment and that seems unlikely. Small states oppose reform because they believe they benefit from the current system. Republicans typically oppose reform as well because they still have good feelings about the 2000 election.

What is the Electoral College? How does the Electoral College work? What are the major criticisms of the Electoral College? What is the most popular proposed alternative system for electing a president?