How We Elect Our President

Electoral College

How are electors allotted among the

states?

• Population

• Representation

How Many Electors Do They Have?• Ohio

18 – 2010 /20 -2000 • Top 5 States

California – 55 No change

Texas – 38 - +4

New York – 29 - -2

Florida – 29 - +2

PA/IL – 20 - -1

States With Three ElectorsAlaskaDelawareMontanaNorth DakotaSouth DakotaVermontWyomingDC – Special Case

Do the Presidential Electors Vote by State?

• Winner Take All−48 States and DC

Congressional District Divide −Maine−Nebraska

• Proportional

Number of Electors Needed

• 270 / 538

• If not…goes to the House of Representatives

• VP goes to the Senate

Historical Examples

Election of 180073 – Jefferson73 – Burr

Jefferson wins on 36th ballot

Historical Examples

Election of 1824

99 – Jackson (152,933)

84 – J.Q. Adams (115,696)

41 – William Crawford (46,979)

37 – Henry Clay (47,136)

Meeting Time• 1st Monday after 2nd Wednesday

in December in Home State.• 1st Vote for President• 2nd Vote for Vice President

−12th Amendment• Can only vote for 1 person from

their state.

Counting the Votes• January 6 of

the year following the election.

• House and Senate meet in the House.

• President of the Senate Presides

• Certify Votes and Ballots

• http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/283204-2

Majority of Electoral Vote Not Received

• House of Representatives• Top 3 vote getters in Electoral

College• Each state gets 1 Vote• Majority wins

Nominee won Popular Votes and Loses Presidency

1876 Election

250,000 more popular votes

Loses to Rutherford B Hayes by 1 electoral vote

1888 Election

90,000 votes over Benjamin Harrison

233/168

2000 Election

543,895 votes over George Bush

271/266

Flaw of the Electoral College

Electors are not required to vote in accord with the popular vote

What If……• Winner of the popular

election dies before the electoral college meets?

Electoral College Map Activity1. Using one side of the map or using one color

determine the fewest number of states needed to win the electoral college vote in the United States and color in these states. This means you will be using with the states with the highest population.

2. Using one side of the map or using another color determine the most states needed to win the electoral college vote in the United States and color in these states. This means you will be using with the states with the lowest population.