A Short History of the Electoral College. A State Gets One Elector For Each: Representative it has in the House of Representatives and Senator (2 per.

A Short History of the Electoral College

A State GetsOne Elector For Each:

Representative it has in the House of Representatives

and Senator (2 per state) it has in

the U.S. Senate.

Two Electoral Votes for Your Two U.S. Senators

Plus

One Electoral Vote For Each of Your U.S. Representatives

Two U.S. Senators = 2Fifty three US Representatives = 53Total California E.V. = 55

Two U.S. Senators = 2 Eleven U.S. Representatives = 11

Total Va. Electoral Votes = 13

Two U.S. Senators = 2One U.S. Representative = 1Total Wyoming E.V. = 3

In 1961, even though it wasn’t a state, the 23rd Amendment gave Washington, D.C. Electoral Votes equal to the smallest (by population)

state.

Now there were 538 total Electoral Votes. All 50 states = 535 Electoral VotesWashington, DC = 3 Electoral Votes

Total = 538 Electoral Votes

Democrat Electors 1. Joe Jones2. Betsy Smith3. John Doe4. Sally Green5. Michael Moore6. Dan Rather7. Mary Wills8. Tyrone Smith9. Ivana Trump10. Dewey Dontwe11. Linda Robb12. Bob Washington13. James Carville

Republican Electors 1. Terry Hart2. Nancy Bayer3. Ernie Davis4. Matt Schaub5. Debbie Jones6. Linda Tripp7. Lee Atwater8. Jim Owens9. Bill Fraser10. Jim Baker11. Rush Limbaugh12. Wilma Knowles13. Mary Matlin

Winner Take AllIn modern times each Political Party

picks a number of Electors to represent it in

each state.In Virginia, the Democrats pick 13 Electors and the Republicans pick 13 Electors etc.

Virginia Election Day Results• 1,512,012 Votes

(Popular Votes)

• 1,822,030 Votes

(Popular Votes)

Democrat Electors 1. Joe Jones2. Betsy Smith3. John Doe4. Sally Green5. Michael Moore6. Dan Rather7. Mary Wills8. Tyrone Smith9. Ivana Trump10. Dewey Dontwe11. Linda Robb12. Bob Washington13. James Carville

Republican Electors 1. Terry Hart2. Nancy Bayer3. Ernie Davis4. Matt Schaub5. Debbie Jones6. Linda Tripp7. Lee Atwater8. Jim Owens9. Bill Fraser10. Jim Baker11. Rush Limbaugh12. Wilma Knowles13. Mary Matlin

Virginia Election Day Results• 1,512,012 Votes

(Popular Votes)

• 1,822,030 Votes

(Popular Votes)

Democrat Electors 1. Joe Jones2. Betsy Smith3. John Doe4. Sally Green5. Michael Moore6. Dan Rather7. Mary Wills8. Tyrone Smith9. Ivana Trump10. Dewey Dontwe11. Linda Robb12. Bob Washington13. James Carville

Republican Electors 1. Terry Hart2. Nancy Bayer3. Ernie Davis4. Matt Schaub5. Debbie Jones6. Linda Tripp7. Lee Atwater8. Jim Owens9. Bill Fraser10. Jim Baker11. Rush Limbaugh12. Wilma Knowles13. Mary Matlin

13

GOP Slate Has More Popular Votes

On Election Day the voters picked the GOP slate

Those 13 GOP Electors will represent Virginia in the

Electoral College

Republican Electors

1. Terry Hart 2. Nancy Bayer

3. Ernie Davis 4. Matt Schaub

5. Debbie Jones6. Linda Tripp

7. Lee Atwater8. Jim Owens 9. Bill Fraser10. Jim Baker

11. Rush Limbaugh 12. Wilma Knowles

13. Mary Matlin

3 Electors

On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December

the Electors meet in their state capitols to vote.

55 Electors

13 Electors

The Electoral ballots are then sent to Washington,

D.C. to be counted on January 6 by the President

of the Senate (The Vice President of the U.S.)

Virginia’s 13 Electors Go To State Capitol in Richmond in Mid-December to Vote

To be elected President a candidate must receive electoral

votes equal to a majority of the all the electors.

538 Total ElectorsX 50% + 1

____________________270 Electoral Votes

House of Representativ

es

•If no candidate receives 270 or more Electoral Votes, the election goes to the House of Representatives.

•The House will try to select a winner from the top 3 candidates who received Electoral Votes for President in the Electoral College (Amendment 12).

•Each state will get one vote regardless of how many U.S. Representatives it has in the House.

Vermont has a population of about 615,000 people.

Vermont has 1 (one) U.S. Representative in the House of Representatives.

Vermont will get 1 (one) vote for President in the back-up system.

That one U.S. Representative will cast one vote in the back-up system.

The Back-up System

California has a population of about 36,000,000 people.

It has 53 U.S. Representatives in the House of Representatives. California will get 1 (one) vote for President in the back-up system.

Those 53 Representatives will have to reach an agreement (Majority vote) on who gets that one vote.

The Back-up System

The Back-up System

•Virginia has a population of about 7,200,000 people.

•It has 11 U.S. Representatives in the House of Representatives.

•Virginia will get 1 (one) vote for President in the back-up system.

•Those 11 Representatives will have to reach an agreement (Majority vote) on who gets that one vote.

The Back-up System

The House of Representatives has only had to serve as a “back-up system” for the Electoral College two times in our history.

1800 =

1824 =

It gives small (in population) states more weight than a strictly proportional system would.

Would whole regions of U.S. feel ignored with straight-up popular vote?

Why some like the present system.

The “Winner take-all” feature tends to make voters pick one of the two major parties.

Countries with many parties sometimes have trouble picking a winner and holding the government together.

Why some like the present system.

Italy

France

•Some argue that the “winner-take-all” format gives minority groups needed power to be heard.

• They point out that if they vote as a bloc theycan deliver a whole state and thus get politicalthe attention of the powerful.

African- Americans = About 10% of U.S. populationIllinois (21) + N.Y. (31) = 19% of Electoral Votes needed to win

Why some like the present system.

Why some like the present system. The “Winner take-all” feature tends to make voter fraud less attractive.Someone would have to steal enough votes to win a state to have an impact.

Voter fraud in one state is limited to that state.

Criticism of the present system:Discourages voters from voting for candidatesother than those representing the two major parties because (with the exception of Maine and Nebraska) you must win the whole state to have an effect on the Electoral Vote.

Criticism of the present system:It even discourages voters from the two major parties from voting in states where their party is vastly outnumbered. (Again, Maine and Nebraska are exceptions.)

Dems. =

Democrats in Utah

Criticism of the present system:

• It violates “one man, one vote” democratic principles.

• An elector in Wyoming represents about 164,000 residents of Wyoming.

• An elector in North Dakota represents about 214,000 residents of North Dakota.

• An elector in California represents about 660,000 residents of California.

Criticism of the present system:

• Jewish – Americans = less than 3% of US population

• NY (31) + Fla. (27) = 21% of Electoral Votes needed to win

•Some critics argue that the “winner-take-all” formatgives relatively small groups too much power.

•They point out that if they vote as a bloc they can deliver a whole state and thus get too many political favors.

Direct Popular Vote

Direct popular vote.

Plurality winner President if over 40%

Run-off top two if no-one has 40% or better

Increase interest in partisan states

Essence of democracy

Break monopoly of two major parties

Reduce power of blocs and swing states

Support for Direct Popular Vote Plan

Criticism of Direct Popular Vote Plan

Increased incentive for fraud

Reduces influence of small states/groups

Encourages third parties to cause more run-offs

Amendment that is required won’t pass

National Bonus Plan

+102 Bonus points

Keep Electoral votes per formula but do away with electors

Add 102 “Bonus” Electoral points for the winner of the popular vote

Retains much of what we have for parties, states, small groups.

Increases interest in partisan states

Less chance of fraud

No “Faithless Electors”

Almost guarantees popular vote winner will win

Support for National Bonus Plan

Maine and Nebraska’sDistrict plus At Large Plan

District 1

District 2

District 3

Each district votes for 1 Elector for the Districtand

for 2 Electors for the whole state.

The Electoral College

The End

How many total Electoral Votes are there?

• A. 435

• B. 535

• C. 438

• D. 538

What is the smallest number of Electoral votes a state can have?

• F. 1

• G. 2

• H. 3

• J. None of these

Most states use what plan for giving out their Electoral Votes?

• A. Winner-Take All Plan

• B. National Bonus Plan

• C. The Maine/Nebraska Plan

• D. The Proportional Plan

Who picks the Electors who will cast the state’s Electoral Votes?

• F. The Governor of the state

• G. The State Senate

• H. The voters of the state

• J. The state Supreme Court

A state’s Electoral Vote total is based on:

• A. Its population

• B. Its Congressional representation

• C. The number of registered voters

• D. The number who voted in the last election

Who is favored by requiring the winner to have a majority of Electoral Votes?

• F. The Democrats

• G. The Republicans

• H. Independents or Third Parties

• J. The two major parties

Which state currently has the most Electoral Votes?

• A. California

• B. New York

• C. Florida

• D. Texas

Which two states use a “District Plus At Large ” plan

• F. Florida and Texas

• G. Maine and Nebraska

• H. Wyoming and Illinois

• J. New York and Florida

Which is not true of a direct popular vote?

• A. It would require a Constitutional Amendment

• B. It is undemocratic

• C. It might encourage more fraud

• D. It probably will encourage third parties

Who serves as a “back-up” to the Electoral College?

• F. The Supreme Court

• G. The House of Representatives

• H. The Cabinet

• J. The Joint Chiefs of Staff

Electoral College

Really the end!