The Original Plan

Electing the President


The Original Plan

Electing the PresidentThere would be a number of candidates (certainly more than just two).

James George Thomas John Andrew

Electing the PresidentEach state gets a number of electors equal its number of Representatives and Senators.

Electing the PresidentEach state legislature would decide how its electors are chosen.

Electing the PresidentEach elector would vote for two candidates for president.

ThomasJohn

ThomasJames

GeorgeAndrew

ThomasAndrew

GeorgeJohn

GeorgeThomas

GeorgeJames

GeorgeJohn

George Andrew

ThomasJames

GeorgeThomas

Electing the PresidentThe candidate with the most votes (provided that it was at least a majority) would become president. The candidate with the second most votes would be the vice president.

James George Thomas John Andrew

3 7 6 3 3


What Went Wrong?

Electing the PresidentTwo political parties formed and each nominated two men for president.

Alex

Thomas John

Aaron

Democratic - Republicans

Federalists

Electing the PresidentAll of the electors voted for the two men in their political party

Alex

Thomas John

Aaron


Federalists

ThomasAaron

ThomasAaron

ThomasAaron

ThomasAaron

ThomasAaron

JohnAlex

JohnAlex

JohnAlex

Electing the PresidentUnder this system, every election would end in a tie.

Alex

Thomas John

Aaron


Federalists

5

5

3

3


How did we fix this?

Twelfth Amendment

Electing the PresidentEach elector votes separately for president and vice president.

Alex

Thomas John

Aaron


Federalists

Pres: ThomasVP: Aaron

Pres: JohnVP: Alex

Pres: JohnVP: Alex

Pres: JohnVP: Alex






Alex

Thomas John

Aaron


Federalists

Pres:5

VP:5

Pres:3

VP:3


The System Today• Three campaigns• Rules set by:

U.S. Constitution State and Federal Law Political Parties

Electing the PresidentCampaign #3: The General Election

Senator Barack ObamaDemocrat

Senator John McCainRepublican


How were the two candidates in Campaign #3 selected?

Electing the PresidentCampaigns #1 and #2: The Primaries

Step 1: Political parties announce conventionsStep 2: Candidates announce desire to be the parties nominee


Democrats Republicans

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hillary_Clinton_official_Secretary_of_State_portrait_crop.jpg


Step 1: Political parties announce conventionsStep 2: Candidates announce desire to be the parties nomineeStep 3: Campaigns and debates begin


Step 1: Political parties announce conventionsStep 2: Candidates announce desire to be the parties nomineeStep 3: Campaigns and debates beginStep 4: State by state primaries and caucuses occur. Candidates collect delegates to the convention.



124

80

30

12

8

4

62

4

45

0

78

14




72

90

10

0

9

1

55

0

0

0

0

0




2,158

1,920

1,401



Step 1: Political parties announce conventionsStep 2: Candidates announce desire to be the parties nomineeStep 3: Campaigns and debates beginStep 4: State by state primaries and caucuses occur. Candidates collect delegates to the convention.Step 5: Nominee made “official” at convention


• NOT a national election• 50 individual state elections (and D.C.)• The candidate that gets the most votes

in a state wins all of that states electors (except for Maine and Nebraska)


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/ElectoralCollege2008.svg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/ElectoralCollege2004.svg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/ElectoralCollege1992.svg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/ElectoralCollege1988.svg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/ElectoralCollege1984.svg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/ElectoralCollege1980.svg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/ElectoralCollege1964.svg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/ElectoralCollege1960.svg


• A candidate must win a majority of electors (270 or more) or else . . .

• The House of Representatives decides the election – 1 vote per state

• The House has decided two elections (1800 and 1824)


How could a candidate get the most popular votes and not win the in the

Electoral College?

Electing the PresidentState Voters Electors

Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21

Wisconsin 5,000,000 10

Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana

Illinois

Wisconsin

Michigan

Total

State Voters Electors

Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M

Illinois

Wisconsin

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M

Illinois

Wisconsin

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois

Wisconsin

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M

Wisconsin

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M

Wisconsin

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M 10

Michigan

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M 10

Michigan 4M

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M 10

Michigan 4M 6M

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M 10

Michigan 4M 6M 17

Total


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M 10

Michigan 4M 6M 17

Total 17M


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M 10

Michigan 4M 6M 17

Total 17M 16.5M


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M 10

Michigan 4M 6M 17

Total 17M 16.5M 21


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17


PopularVote

Electors

State A B A B

Indiana 4M 2M 11

Illinois 6M 6.5M 21

Wisconsin 3M 2M 10

Michigan 4M 6M 17

Total 17M 16.5M 21 38


Indiana 6,000,000 11

Illinois 12,500,000 21


Michigan 10,000,000 17

The Original Plan

Documents

Transcript of The Original Plan