French Electoral Politics: A Case Study in Electoral Systems.
One of the least understood parts of American Politics today…fun! The Electoral College.
-
Upload
cassandra-henry -
Category
Documents
-
view
213 -
download
0
Transcript of One of the least understood parts of American Politics today…fun! The Electoral College.
One of the least understood parts of American Politics today…fun!
The Electoral College
While voters might think they're voting for Barack Obama or John McCain on Election Day, they're not. They're voting for a member of the Electoral College — a uniquely American institution responsible for George W. Bush's win in 2000 despite his losing the popular vote to Al Gore, and the reason the campaigns have spent over $25 million on ads in Ohio and nothing in Utah.
The Electoral College
Who got the most votes and didn’t become president?1824 - Andrew Jackson1876- Samuel Tilden1888 - Grover Cleveland2000 - Al Gore
Why do we have an electoral college? Because the Constitution says so! The
Constitution states that…
The President will be elected by the electoral college
Each state has the same number of electors as it does members of Congress (senators and representatives)
Choosing Electors When we vote for a President, we are really voting
for presidential electors!Presidential Elections are held on the Tuesday
after the first Monday in November every 4 years
In almost every state the electors are chosen at large- winner take all
Sometimes electors are listed on ballots below the candidates name, sometimes they are not
Electors are nominated by political parties and pledge their vote to a
specific candidate!
Electoral college
Counting Electoral VotesThe electoral college meets at each State’s
Capital on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December to cast their vote
District of Columbia has 3 votes making the total number of electoral votes 538
Need to win presidency – 270
If no one gets 270, it is determined in the House of Representatives
The 2000 Election: An Example
Totals
Popular Electoral Votes College
Bush 50,456,002 271
Gore 50,999,897 266
Flaws in the Electoral CollegeThree major defects in the system
The candidate with the most popular votes doesn’t always win
as in the case of the 2000 election: Bush vs. GoreElectors are not required to vote for the candidate with
the state’s popular voteelectors don’t typically break their pledged votes but it
has happened because there is nothing stopping them
The vote could eventually be sent to the House of Representatives
this has happened twice and not since 1824
Hmm interesting?!
In 2000 on elector from D.C. refused to cast her vote for someone for President (she would have voted for Gore). She was using the election as a platform to protest the fact that D.C. is not represented in Congress
Inauguration
The candidate with the majority of electoral votes is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th following the election
Presidential Elections from Start to Finish: A Review
Presidential Elections: Ever 4 Years
January-June Tuesday after first January 20thPrimaries and Monday in November InaugurationCaucuses are held Election Day
January February March April May June July August September October November December January
July-August Monday after second National Conventions Wednesday in December
are held by major parties Electoral College votes