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The Electoral College

The Electoral College. The Electoral College: Step 1. In November of a presidential election year, each state holds an election in which all eligible citizens may vote. Citizens vote for a “ticket” which includes a candidate for president and candidate for vice president.

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The Electoral College

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  1. The Electoral College

  2. The Electoral College: Step 1 • In November of a presidential election year, each state holds an election in which all eligible citizens may vote. • Citizens vote for a “ticket” which includes a candidate for president and candidate for vice president

  3. The Electoral College: Step 2 • The outcome of the popular vote in each state determines the electors who make the actual choice of president and vice president • Each state has as many electors as it has senators and members of the House of Representatives, for a total of 538 (the District of Columbia gets three electors even though it has no representation)

  4. The Electoral College: Step 3 • In December of a presidential year, the electors of each state meet in their state capitals to cast their ballots for president and vice president • States may or may not require their electors to vote with the popular majority, and they may or may not give all of their electors to the winner of the statewide popular vote

  5. The Electoral College: Step 4 • These ballots are opened, counted, and certified in a joint session of Congress in January

  6. The Electoral College: Step 5 • If no candidate wins a majority of the electoral votes or if the top two candidates are tied the House selects a president from among the leading five candidates • Each state’s delegation has a single vote • The Senate selects a vice president by the same process

  7. The Electoral College in practice • The District of Columbia and 48 states have a winner-takes-all rule for the Electoral College. • In these States, whichever candidate receives a majority of the popular vote, or a plurality of the popular vote (less than 50 percent but more than any other candidate), takes all of the state’s Electoral votes. • Only two states, Nebraska and Maine, do not follow the winner-takes-all rule. In those states, there could be a split of Electoral votes among candidates through the state’s system for proportional allocation of votes.

  8. Why keep the Electoral College? • It would require an amendment to the Constitution to abolish or change the electoral college • This issue has been debated over 700 times in our history. • There has never been enough popular support to get an amendment passed

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