1. Electoral College

2. Next Step = National Convention! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1fSvSbOEpM&list=PLA8BD7BD0B5456D37 Caucus PRIMARY NATIONAL CONVENTION GENERAL ELECTION ELECTORAL COLLEGE White House

3. Election Day – November –1st Tuesday after the 1 st Monday in Nov. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFqln0eyyHM WHY do we vote on Tuesday? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFqln0eyyHM Voters cast their ballot for Electors (not the candidates!) Electoral College meets in December to cast their ballots for President. Electors use the popular vote to make their decision. MN Elector casting a vote for Obama

4. The original intent of the Constitution was to have the Electors choose a President based on their own judgment. Electors chose the Presidential Candidate based on the most popular votes in their state. (winner take all – except Nebraska and Maine) Electors are chosen by popular vote in every state but don’t appear on the ballot. What were the Founding Fathers thinking?

5. 538 Electoral Votes –Each state gets as many as number of Representatives to House and Senate combined. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvnN468 Ted Talk on Electoral College 5 min. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvnN468

6. Presidential Candidates must win a majority of electoral votes. 270 out of 538. http://www.270towin.com/ No majority? The House of Representatives decides. Each state delegation (MN 8) has one vote. 26 out of 50 to win. Has happened twice: 1800 (Thomas Jefferson) 1824 (John Q. Adams) What is the problem with letting the House decide?

7. 1) The popular vote winner is not guaranteed the Presidency. Has happened four times: 1824, 1876, 1888, and 2000. 2) A President can be elected without a majority of popular vote. Has happened 15 times. Most recently 2000. (Gore vs. Bush, Jr,) 2000 Even Kids Know – video clip 6 minutesEven Kids Know 3) Electors are not required to vote with their state's popular vote. Called “Faithless Electors.” Has happened 85 (plus 2 abstentions) times. 4) Elections can be decided by the House of Representatives. Problems with the Electoral College:

8. 1)Proportional Plan: A Presidential Candidate receives the same share of electoral votes as popular votes per state. Criticisms: third parties gain power, and a plurality, not majority would determine most elections. 2) Direct Popular Election: simple. Criticisms: weaken the federal system of government, create campaign stresses. 3) Direct Popular Election with Instant Run-Off Voting (IRV): Proposed Electoral College Reforms