1. Process of choosing the President
Electoral College
Process of choosing the President

2. What is it? Why do we have it?
How we elect the President.
It is a compromise between:
Election by Congress
Direct popular election

3. How does it work?
Each state is given the same # of electors as Reps + Sen.
Each candidate submits its slate of electors in each state
On election day in Nov. voters choose electors

4. Electors meet in state capitol in Dec to cast ballots
How it works (cont)
In 48 states the winner of the popular election gets all that states elector
ME & NE have a district plan
Electors meet in state capitol in Dec to cast ballots

5. Electoral ballots are opened by Congress @ 1st meeting in January
How it works (still)
Electoral ballots are opened by 1st meeting in January
270 of 538 required
President takes office on Jan 20th

6. Near Failures of System?
1800
- T Jefferson & Aaron Burr (same party) each had 73 electoral votes
- Jefferson was chosen by House on 36th attempt
- Led to the passing of the 12th Amendment

7. 1876
- Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular election to Samuel Tilden (48% to 51%)
- Electoral votes disputed in 4 states
- Committee in House gave states to Hayes in exchange to end Reconstruction

8. 1888
- Cleveland received 48.6% of popular vote while B. Harrison received 47.8%
Harrison won electoral college with 233 votes to Cleveland’s 168 votes

9. 1960
-JFK won with 303 electoral votes to Nixon’s 219
- Results were much closer in popular vote with JFK receiving 49.7% to Nixon’s 49.5%

10. 2000
- Al Gore received 539,947 more popular votes than George W. Bush
- Bush won with 271 EC votes to Gore’s 266

11. Proposed Amendments Over 700 proposals have been offered
Most popular plans:
District Plan
Proportional Plan
Direct Popular Vote
National Bonus Plan