How the U.S. Electoral College works As American voters elect their country’s leaders today, it’s the Electoral College that matters in presidential elections. Here’s an explanation of some important points and how it works.
Question: What is the Electoral College?
Answer: It’s a collection of electors chosen by the Democratic and Republican parties in each state who then choose the president. There are 538 electors spread across the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Q: Why do it this way and not through a popular vote?
A: The founders were concerned partially about protecting the voice of small states in elections. The colonies also were isolated and many of the people were illiterate, so it was hard to get information about candidates. The founders thought it best that leaders be chosen by trustworthy and educated people selected by their neighbors.
Q: Have there been attempts to change the Electoral College?
A: Hundreds of times, because of concerns the popular vote winner wouldn't’t become president.
Q: How many times has the popular vote winner not won the Electoral College vote?
A: Four. In addition to Al Gore in 2000, it also happened in 1824, 1876 and 1888.
Q: How are the electors chosen?
A: It varies, but generally the state political parties choose people to stand for their presidential and vice presidential ticket. Usually they are state officials, party leaders or even friends of the candidates. Each party on the ballot chooses a set of their own electors.
Q: How many electors does each state get?
A: Each state and the District of Columbia get a minimum of three electors. Larger states are given more, based on their total number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. You can calculate each state’s electoral votes by adding two (the number of senators) to a state’s number of House members. California, the most populous state, has 55 electoral votes. Wyoming, the least populous, has three (along with six other states and the District of Columbia). The national census taken every 10 years determines population, setting the number of House members for each state and so, the number of electors.
Q: Do all states apportion electors the same way?
A: No. Forty-eight states currently have a winner-take-all system, where if a candidate wins a state by even one vote, that candidate gets all of the state’s electors. Maine and Nebraska divide up their electors depending on who wins the popular vote in each congressional district. Colorado voted in 2004 on whether to apportion its nine electoral votes based on the percentage of the state’s popular vote but the measure was rejected and the state remains winner-take-all.
Q: What if the Electoral College is tied, 269-269?
A: In that case, the newly elected House of Representatives would vote for president Jan. 6 with each state’s delegation getting one vote. The District of Columbia does not have a vote. Because Democrats are likely to maintain their majority, the House likely would elect Sen. Barack Obama.
The Senate would vote to elect the vice president. It is likely Democrats will keep control of that chamber, too, and presumably would elect Sen. Joe Biden.
Q: Do electors have to vote for the winner of their state or district?
A: Not by any constitutional mandate. Some states have laws fining those who don’t. In 2000, an elector from the District of Columbia did not cast an electoral vote in protest over the District’s lack of statehood. Also in 2004, 10 Minnesota electors voted for John Edwards to be vice president and one voted for Edwards for president. Congress let the vote stand on the record.
Source: Office of the Federal Register
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