1. DO NOW
What is the Electoral College? How does it work?

2. 303: The Electoral College (pt. 1)
11/17

4. Adam ruins everything

5. Review: Electoral College
The President and Vice President are elected by the electoral college
538 people elected from the 50 states and D.C.
In 2000, Bush received 271 and Gore 266 (with one elector submitting a “no-vote” in the official tally)
Clarification: Presidents are NOT elected by the Popular Vote
Interesting Fact:State Control of Electors

6. Where do these numbers come from?
Electoral votes are broken down by state.
Each state gets one electoral vote for each member of it's Congressional delegation.
For instance, Tennessee has 9 Congressmen and 2 Senators; therefore, Tennessee has 11 Electoral votes. South Dakota has 1 Congressman and two Senators; therefore, South Dakota has 3 electoral votes. What is the minimum electoral votes a state can have?
The total number 538 comes from the fact that there are 435 Representatives for all the states and 100 Senators.
The District of Columbia has no Representatives or Senators but it has been give 3 electoral votes anyway.

7. On the Campaign Trail Electoral College Points Campaign Attention
A campaign devotes most of its attention to places where the greatest number of potential votes exist.
However, States where support for each candidate is about equal, or swing states, may also experience intense campaigning.
Particular states may historically vote for one party. Therefore candidates may ignore these states.
If a state is already “won” or “lost” a candidate may ignore it.
Electoral College Points
Campaign Attention
i.e. Massachusetts has voted Democrat for President 8 out of the last 10 elections; while Texas has voted Republican 9 for President out of the last 10 elections

8. Arguments over the E.C. Opponents (in brief) Supporters (in brief)
The winner of the popular vote may not win the presidency
Supporters (in brief)
Electoral college requires candidates to generate support from a variety of states, large and small

9. Textbook pp
Who do we really vote for when we vote for president?
What is the reason the founders chose the electoral college system?
How is the number of a state’s electors determined?
How do Maine and Nebraska allot electoral votes differently than the other states?
Why do small states have more power under the electoral college system?