ELECTORAL COLLEGE

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

• Established in Article II, Section 1• Popular vote in each state chooses the electors for that state• Electors then vote for the president and vice president• Winner take all system **

**Except in Maine and Nebraska – District System

• How many electors does each state get?• Number of House members + number of Senators = number of

electors• Ex. TX has 36 members of the House and 2 Senators; How many

electors does Texas get?• 38

• How many total electors nationwide?• 435 House members• 100 Senators• 3 Electoral Votes for Washington, D.C.• 538 total electoral votes• 270 to gain a simple majority

PROBLEMS WITH THEELECTORAL COLLEGE

• Winner of popular vote doesn’t always win the electoral college• 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000

• Nothing requires electors to vote for candidate chosen by popular vote

• If no one gets 270 votes, vote goes to House of Representatives• Issues with the House voting for President• Votes by state, not individual members (small population

states = large population states)• State loses vote is a majority of their members can’t agree

on a candidate• A candidate has to receive at least 26 states to win the

election

DEFENSE OF THEELECTORAL COLLEGE

• In 57 presidential elections, the winner of the popular vote hasn’t won the electoral college only 4 times• 93% success rate

• Vote has gone to the house on twice• the last time was in 1824