1. Ch 13 sec 3 Presidential Selection: The Framers’ Plan

2. What were the Framers’ original provisions for choosing the President?

3. The Original Provisions According to the Constitution, the President & Vice President are chosen by a special body of presidential electors. Originally, these electors each cast two electoral votes, each for a different candidate. The candidate with the most votes would become President, and the candidate with the second highest total would become Vice President. Today people are voting for electors

4. Who selects the Electors? The process for selecting Electors varies throughout the United States. Generally, the political parties nominate Electors at their State party conventions or by a vote of the party’s central committee in each State. Each candidate will have their own unique slate of potential Electors as a result of this part of the selection process. Electors are often chosen to recognize service and dedication to their political party. They may be State-elected officials, party leaders, or persons who have a personal or political affiliation with the Presidential candidate. On Election Day, the voters in each State choose the Electors by casting votes for the presidential candidate of their choice. The Electors’ names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State. The winning candidate in each State—except in Nebraska and Maine, which have proportional distribution of the Electors—is awarded all of the State’s Electors. In Nebraska and Maine, the state winner receives two Electors and the winner of each congressional district receives one Elector. This system permits the Electors from Nebraska and Maine to be awarded to more than one candidate. Are there restrictions on who the Electors can vote for? There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires Electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their States. Some States, however, require Electors to cast their votes according to the popular vote. These pledges fall into two categories—Electors bound by State law and those bound by pledges to political parties.Constitutional provisionFederal law The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the Constitution does not require that Electors be completely free to act as they choose and therefore, political parties may extract pledges from electors to vote for the parties’ nominees. Some State laws provide that so-called "faithless Electors"; may be subject to fines or may be disqualified for casting an invalid vote and be replaced by a substitute elector. The Supreme Court has not specifically ruled on the question of whether pledges and penalties for failure to vote as pledged may be enforced under the Constitution. No Elector has ever been prosecuted for failing to vote as pledged.Constitution Today, it is rare for Electors to disregard the popular vote by casting their electoral vote for someone other than their party’s candidate. Electors generally hold a leadership position in their party or were chosen to recognize years of loyal service to the party. Throughout our history

5. http://www.270towin.com/ EC interactive map

6. The Rise of Parties The electoral college is the group of people (electors) chosen from each State & the District of Columbia that formally selects the President and Vice President. With the rise of political parties in 1796, flaws began to be seen in the system.

7. The 12th Amendment The 12th Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1804 following the election of 1800. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooGSppbPwls students work https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQmtEc-6E- Y&index=53&list=PL13029619946CE639 election of 1800)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooGSppbPwlshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQmtEc-6E- Y&index=53&list=PL13029619946CE639 The major change in the electoral college made by the amendment was that each elector would distinctly cast one electoral vote for President and one for Vice President. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok_VQ8I7g6I&list=PL13029619946CE 639&index=10http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok_VQ8I7g6I&list=PL13029619946CE 639&index=10 Electing a US President in Plain English

8. Electoral College Pros and Cons

9. Arguments for the Electoral College Certainty of Results Discourages 3rd Parties Precludes Possibility of National Re-Count of Votes Keeps States as Integral Part of Presidential Selection Process Keeps Small States as Viable Participants Establishes Campaign Need to Build "Concurrent Majorities"Concurrent Majorities Provides Chosen Candidate with a Majority

10. Arguments Against the Electoral College Can Distort the Popular Choice Discourages 3rd Parties Disenfranchises Voters in States Which Support Electoral College Loser Allows for the "Faithless Elector" Can Allow Presidential Election to be Decided by the House of Representatives Where Each States Has One Vote It Is Archaic - Based on Political Considerations No Longer Relevant Winner of the popular vote might not win Presidency (hint hint)