The Electoral College

What is the Electoral College?  It is not a place like an actual college campus  It is the way we elect our president every four years  Do the people directly elect the President? NO! NO!  Instead, each state picks people or “electors” to cast their vote based on the way the people in the state vote So, if majority of people in VA vote for Obama, VA’s electors will caste their ballots for Obama (VA has 13 electors) So, if majority of people in VA vote for Obama, VA’s electors will caste their ballots for Obama (VA has 13 electors)

 Virginia has 13 electoral votes 11 members of the House of Representatives + 2 members of the Senate = 13 electoral votes! How are each states’ votes calculated?

Why?  Why did the framers of the Constitution come up with such an idea?  Well...some at the Constitutional Convention wanted Congress to elect the President every four years Does this sound like a good idea to you? Does this sound like a good idea to you?

Why?  Others wanted the people to elect but worried about how one candidate could appeal to ALL the people spread out across the U.S. back then Remember, there wasn’t internet or TV to connect people Remember, there wasn’t internet or TV to connect people  Others worried that the everyday American was not well educated enough to make an important selection such as this

Solution?  The Electoral College! It’s a compromise of sorts It’s a compromise of sorts