1. Unit 6: The Executive Branch
3. The Electoral College & Campaigns
Unit 6: The Executive Branch

2. Presidential Campaigns
Step 1: Show interest
Step 2: Campaign in state primaries
Step 3: Win your party’s state primaries
Step 4: Be announced as your party’s candidate at a national convention
Step 5: Begin the real campaign

3. State Campaigns Primaries Caucuses January-June of election year
State voters go to the polls to choose their preference for a party’s presidential candidate.
Some states hold primaries, some hold caucuses.
Open meeting in which voters (usually openly) express their choice for a party’s presidential candidate.
Used in about a dozen rural states.

4. Importance of Order
The first two states: Iowa (caucus) and New Hampshire (primary).
Candidates spend lots of time and money here.
These also serve to whittle down the competition.

5. Importance of Order
Frontloading: States moving their primaries up to capture media attention, importance, and recognition from the candidates.

6. Primaries and Caucuses
Good
Bad
Promotes direct democracy
Candidates spend a great deal of time and money in major primary states.
Disproportionate attention
$$$
Participation is unrepresentative
Gives too much power to the media

7. Primaries and Caucuses
Although candidates campaign a great deal during the primaries, THIS IS NOT THE REAL CAMPAIGN.
Candidates spend six months on the road for something that “could be.”
“The Marathon Campaign”

8. Each political party comes together during the summer and formally chooses/announces their candidate.
Each state shows up and reveals the results of their primary or caucus.
The candidate with the most states’ backing becomes the candidate.
National Conventions

9. National Conventions Day 1: Speeches, keynote speaker
Day 2: Party Platform/Agenda
Day 3: Candidate speeches and formal nomination
Day 4: VP nomination and Presidential candidate’s acceptance speech
Less attention from the media.
Little to no drama involved.
Lasts 3-4 days.

10. The Electoral College What is it?
A process created by the writers of the Constitution to compromise direct and indirect democracy when it comes to choosing the president.
This means there are two votes that happen.

11. The Electoral College Vote #1: The popular vote.
The general public votes for their choice in their area.
Along with their choice for president, the general voters also choose electors.

12. PAUSE: What is an elector?
Electors are members of a political party who are highly involved and who have the potential to represent the popular vote in their state.
Most voters do not know they are choosing them.
In most states their names are hidden.

13. The Electoral College Vote #2: The electoral vote.
A state’s electors come together and cast the state’s collective vote, based on the popular vote.
There are 538 electors to represent each one of the current 538 electoral votes.

14. A State’s Electoral Vote
…is equal to its Congressional representation.
#HR + #S = electoral vote.
Total members of Congress?
535 + DC = 538

15. The Electoral Vote
In most states, the popular winner gets all of the electoral votes. This is called “winner-take-all.”
Nebraska and Maine have a proportional electoral vote.
Statewide winner receives 2 electoral votes, and then 1 for each Congressional district.

16. Swing States States whose electoral votes are not promised. < 2000
2004 >
< 2008
2012 >

17. The Electoral Vote
The electors meet in December to cast the state’s official vote.
They verbally say their vote, and sign some papers.
The state draws up more papers, and these are sent to Congress and the National Archives.

18. Counting the vote
A joint session of Congress counts the votes in January.
This is where the 12th Amendment comes in.

19. So once again: 1: The popular vote (Nov.) 2: The electoral vote (Dec.)
3: Electoral vote sent to Congress (Dec.)
4: Congress counts electoral vote (Jan.)
5: Presidential inauguration (Jan.)
6: Documents sent to NARA to become part of the national archives
NARA is the National Archives and Records Administration.

20. How many votes do you need to win?
The majority = (538/2) + 1
270