What is the Electoral College?The Electoral College was established by the U.S. Congress in 1789. Why? The founding fathers did not like the idea of a popular election. They were concerned that presidents would always come from states with high populations. They also wondered if the public would have the knowledge necessary to make a wise choice. Obviously, they did not have 24-hour news services as we do today!The Electoral College is not a “college” at all but “electors” chosen from each state. The Electoral College process is used to select the president and vice president of the United States.How the Electoral College WorksThe people in each state vote for the president. The results in a state determine which electors are selected for that state. All the electoral votes for that state go for the candidate that gets the most votes in that state.The electoral votes for all 50 states are added and the candidate with the majority of the votes wins!How Many Electoral Votes Does Each State Get?Remember, the number of electors from each state is based on the state’s representation in Congress. For example, the most populous state, California, has 55 electors. The least populous states—Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming—have three electors each.The map below shows how many electoral votes each state has.How Many Electoral Votes Are Required to Win?There are a total of 538 electoral votes. To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the electoral votes—at least 270 votes.How do we arrive at 538 electoral votes?

   100 senators    435 representatives in the House        3 electors for Washington, D.C. = 538 electoral votes

What is the Electoral College?

The Electoral College is not a “college” at all but “electors” chosen from each state.

The Electoral College process is used to select the president and vice president of the United States.

Why and When was the Electoral College Established?

The Electoral College was established by the U.S. Congress in 1789. The founding fathers did not like the idea of a popular election.

They were concerned that presidents would always come from states with high populations.

They also wondered if the public would have the knowledge necessary to make a wise choice.

How the Electoral College Works

The people in each state vote for the president.

The results of the popular vote in a state determine which electors are selected for that state. (Democratic or Republican)

All the electoral votes for that state go for the candidate that gets the most votes in that state.

The electoral votes for all 50 states are added and the candidate with the majority of the votes wins!

A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win

How Many Electoral Votes Are Required to Win?

There are a total of 538 electoral votes.

To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the electoral votes - at least 270 votes.

Why are there 538 electoral votes?

  100 senators ( 2 per state)  435 representatives in the House (based on population per state)       3 electors for Washington, D.C.  538 electoral votes

The Electoral College system is “winner take all.”

The candidate with the most popular votes gets ALL of the electoral votes

Except in Maine and Nebraska where the electoral votes can be divided

Counting the Votes

The electors then meet in the State capitol to cast votes for the candidate they represent

The Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December

Those votes are then sent to the president of the Senate in Washington D.C.

The president of the Senate counts the votes on January 6th in front of the Congress

What if no one wins or there is a tie?

If no Presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes, the US House of Representatives takes a vote to determine the winner

This happened in 1800 and 1824

In 1824 presidential election of, John Quincy Adams was elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was decided by the House of Representatives

It’s possible to win the popular vote but lose the electoral vote?

The 2000 Presidential Election Al Gore - Democratic Candidate (blue)

50,992,335 popular votes 266 electoral votes

George W Bush – Republican Candidate (red) 50,455,156 popular votes (537,179 votes less) 271 electoral votes

The Final Counting of the Votes: Florida, a swing state, had a major recount dispute that took center

stage in the election. Election Day was November 7th and the recount was finally decided

on December 13th (approximately 5 weeks later)

Bush won Florida by only 537 votes He received all of Florida’s Electoral Votes and thus won the

election

Activity

1.Look at the electoral map

2.If you were running for President with limited money and could only focus on a few states, where would you focus your campaign?

3.List the states, in order, that you would need to win the necessary 270 Electoral College votes.