The Electoral College

Elections To run for President you must meet the qualifications in the Constitution Then, you must get on the ballot Register with the Federal Elections Commission

Get on the ballot If you belong to a political party the party must nominate you for the election. This is done by primaries or caucuses

Get on the ballot All candidates run in the primary. Each primary gives the winner votes…called delegates Then the one with the most delegates won gets on the ballot for their party.

delegates Need a simple majority of delegates to win the nomination at the National Convention EX. 2,286 delegates chosen…a Republican needs 1,144 delegate votes at the convention to win the nomination Delegates were elected in different ways that vary from state to state. They could be elected at local conventions, selected from slates submitted by the candidates, selected at committee meetings, or elected directly at the caucuses and primaries.

Primary First primary is Feb 1, 2016 (Iowa) Last is June 14, 2016 (D.C.) Most primaries are March. Tuesday March 1 is called Super Tuesday because 12 states vote California is June 7th

Then comes the Presidential Election!!!!

True or False? The candidate with the most votes is elected president. Answer: Not necessarily. Ask Al Gore. 11/11/2018

The 2000 Election The Popular Vote The Electoral Vote Al Gore 50,996,039 George W. Bush 50,456,141 The Electoral Vote George W. Bush 271 Al Gore 267 11/11/2018

2000 In 2000, Bush won all of Florida’s 25 electoral votes because the final official vote tally showed him ahead of Gore by about 600 votes. Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland in 1888 Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel Tilden in 1876

Review Question Does it matter whether a candidate carries a state by a few votes or a lot of votes? 11/11/2018

Answer No. A candidate receives all of a state’s electoral votes whether the candidate carries the state by one vote or a million votes. In every state except Nebraska and Maine, the race is winner take all. 11/11/2018

Historical Background The framers of the Constitution disagreed on how to elect a president Congressional selection direct popular election. The electoral college was a compromise combining features of both approaches. 11/11/2018

The Electoral College and Federalism The electoral college also reflects the federal nature of the Constitution Ensures that the states have a role in selecting the president. 11/11/2018

Electors will determine the president and vice-president. ARTICLE II Section 1 Electors will determine the president and vice-president.

2010 Census Every ten years the U.S. Census is taken to determine how many representatives each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. This number helps to determine the number of electors for each state.

The Electoral college Senators & Representatives Electors Each state will have electors = to the number of senators + representatives given to that state There are 538 electors. Senators & Representatives Electors

EX. State Electoral Votes Each state is entitled to as many electoral votes as the sum of its representation U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Senate EX: Ohio: 18 House members plus 2 senators = 20 electoral votes Total: 435 House members 100 senators 3 electors for the District of Columbia = 538 electoral votes 11/11/2018 Political Science Module Developed by PQE

Becoming an Elector Electors will be appointed by state legislature Electors must be loyal party members

Becoming an Elector Any eligible voter can be an elector You can become an elector

Becoming an Elector Electors may not hold any other office Electors do not get paid, they have other jobs Electors names appear on the ballot under the candidate they will vote for.

Voting Electors meet at the state capital in Nov. after the general election and cast their ballots. Electors can vote for whoever they want

Ballots A joint session of Congress convenes the January after the election to count the electoral votes and announce the winner. If no candidate receives a majority, Congress will pick the president and vice president.

Amendments 23rd Amendment gave the District of Columbia 3 electors for a total of 538. 12th Amendment said the electors will vote once for President and once for Vice-president

Review Question Who are electors? 11/11/2018

Answer They are individuals selected in each state to officially cast that state’s electoral votes. Electors are typically long-time party activists who are selected by their state party organization as a reward for their loyalty to the party. In most states, electors are officially pledged to support their party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates. 11/11/2018

Electoral college video http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017307515 http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/presidential-elections/videos/the-electoral-college

Review Question What is the small state bias? 11/11/2018

Answer The electoral college has a small state bias because every state gets at least three electoral votes regardless of its population. As a result, small states such as Alaska, Wyoming, and South Dakota enjoy a greater percentage of electoral votes than they would merit based strictly on population. 11/11/2018