Voters do not directly elect the president or vice president. This video gives a short overview of the electoral college and what roles it serves in u. Create a specific matchup by clicking the party andor names near the electoral vote counter. The electoral college system was established by article ii of the u. The office of the federal register coordinates the functions of the u. The electoral college is a constitutional process established by the founding fathers to elect the president and vice president of the united states. The people of the united states vote for the electors who then vote for the president. A guide to the us political system aimed at a level students, explaining how elections work in the usa. It replaced the procedure provided in article ii, section 1, clause 3, by which the electoral college originally functioned. We hope that this issue of ejournal usa will improve your understanding of the. The electoral college explained christina greer crashcourse.
The troubling reason the electoral college exists time. Some delegates at the 1787 constitutional convention wanted congress to choose the president while others preferred a democratic popular vote. The founders believed that most common citizens of the day were poorly educated and. The electoral college is a process that began as part of the original design of the u. It is a procedure that is comprised of a selection of electors who would meet to conduct the selection of the president and the vice president. The electoral college explained the new york times. It also involves an electoral vote counting by congress. The electoral college keeps high population states and regions from deciding the presidency. Electoral college on behalf of the archivist of the united states, the states, the congress, and the american people.
The electoral college is a process the founding fathers established in the constitution as a compromise between election of the president by a vote in congress and election of the president by a popular vote of qualified citizens. The electoral college system is respected for its historical roots and because it does usually reflect the popular vote 48 out of 52 elections since. It is important to note that the electoral college is not a place but a process. Still, the electoral college continues to recognize that americans vote by statein the same way that they elect the senate and the house, and the same way that they voted those many years ago to ratify the constitution. The us does not elect its presidents by popular vote, but it conducts such election through a process called the electoral college. How it works in contemporary presidential elections congressional research service 2 of this eventuality, which occurred previously in 1876, 1888, and 2000. In the case of the 2000 election, for all house sizes less than 492, the electoral college goes to bush. The founding fathers established it in the constitution, in part, as a compromise between the election of the president by a vote in congress and election of the president by a popular vote of. For a more in depth look into the electoral college and how it works, visit the national archives and administrations u.
The electoral college was established by the founding fathers as a compromise between election of the president by congress and election by popular vote. The pros and cons of the electoral college smartasset. It also explains why a candidate can win the popular vote but not actually win the election, which is what happened in the 2016 presidential election. The presidential electors nearly always vote the same way in december as the voters in their states. The electoral college website now has an easytoremember address.
How the electoral college influences campaigns and policy. It was devised by the founders as a means of resolving two concerns. When voters go to the polls on tuesday, they will be choosing which candidate receives their states electors. The electoral college explained your vote doesnt exactly decide who becomes president.
Last updated december 1, 2016 what is the electoral college. Use the buttons below the map to share your forecast or embed it into a web page. The larger the electoral college, the more likely it will reflect the outcome of the popular vote. The founding fathers created the electoral college system as a compromise between having the president elected by congress and having the president elected by the popular vote of. The electoral college is a group of people that elects the president and the vice president of the united states. In the first design of the electoral college described in article ii. The amendment was proposed by the congress on december 9, 1803, and was ratified by the requisite three.
Southerner thomas jefferson, for example, won the election of 180001 against northerner john adams in a race where the slaveryskew of the electoral college was the decisive margin of victory. The constitution doesnt require electors to follow their states popular vote, but its rare for one not to. The united states is a republic of states and each state should be able to apportion its electorates as it sees fit. If its been a long time since your last civics class, heres a refresher course. Twelfth amendment to the united states constitution. Students will view a video about the structure of the electoral college, learn about north carolinas importance in the 2016 presidential election, and participate in an electoral college simulation. Typically, the electoral college meets and does its thing a month or so after the election, and few people even notice or care.
The voters of each state, and the district of columbia, vote for electors to be the authorized constitutional members in a presidential election. The pros and cons of raising the minimum wage pro 2. The electoral college process consists of the selection of the electors. A us president is elected via the electoral college system. Explain, as simply as possible, the electoral college. Without the electoral college, a huge popular margin in one state like california or texas could decide the entire election. The original purpose of the electoral college was to reconcile differing state and federal interests, provide a degree of popular participation in. What is the electoral college, and why does the united.
The electoral college is the important and often controversial process by which the united states selects the president of the united states every four years. Thats because the united states has something called an electoral college its not a university but a group of people who do the electing for us. It is not a building or institution, rather the college is really just a way to name a group of 538 people who are the formal electors. The electoral college is a body of electors established by the united states constitution, constituted every four years for the sole purpose of electing the president and vice president of the united states. Exploring the electoral college overview in this lesson, students will learn about the history and structure of the electoral college. The twelfth amendment amendment xii to the united states constitution provides the procedure for electing the president and vice president. The electoral college is a national security threat. Instead, voters vote for their preferred president and vice president pair. In any event, the 1960 election is excluded from this analysis because a third. In most cases, a projected winner is announced on election night in november after you vote. The founding fathers created the electoral college system as a compromise between having the president elected by congress and having the president elected by the popular vote of qualified citizens.
The electoral college is how the united states selects the next president and vice president. For the second time in as many decades, a constitutional appendix has foiled the will of the majority of us voters. The electoral college gives small states more weight in the political process than their population would otherwise confer. For more educational teaching resources visit uk parl. There are 538 popularlyelected members of the electoral college, allotted to each of the 50 states and the district of columbia based on their representation in the us congress. The electoral college is how the united states selects the next. But the actual electoral college vote takes place in middecember when the electors meet in their states.
Disadvantages and advantages of electoral college connectus. Americans who go to the polls on election day dont actually dont select the president directly. Congress, senate, the constitution of the united states of america, analysis and interpretation, pp. Click states on this interactive map to create your own 2020 election forecast. This election result is sometimes referred to, particularly by.
1137 770 648 859 1462 6 266 409 1020 1356 1037 994 1148 363 1440 278 512 648 1003 404 34 1122 43 473 155 1208 287 384 1055 918 714 1324 948 239 900 144 424