Electoral College
What are the electors called?
As a group, the electors are known as the Electoral College. This has NOTHING to do with college.
When do the election results become official?
Election results become official on January 6th when they are read in the presence of the entire Congress.
What happens if there is a tie?
If there is a tie, members of the House of Representatives vote for the President and members of the Senate vote for the Vice-President.
Why does the number of electors matter?
If you add up the number of electors for a presidential election, you get 538. The candidate's goal on Election Day is to win the majority of 538, which is 270 electoral votes. Once a candidate receives at least 270 electoral votes, they have won the election and become the next President of the United States.
What happens when a Presidential candidate receives the most popular votes?
In 48 of the 50 states, the candidate who receives the most popular votes wins all of that state's electoral votes.
Do citizens directly elect the President?
No. When Americans cast their vote for a presidential candidate, they are really voting for an elector. An elector is a person pledged to vote for that candidate.
How often do Presidential elections take place?
Presidential elections take place every four years.
How many electors does VA have?
Senators: 2 Representatives: 11 Electors: 2 + 11 = 13
Why did the Framers of the Constitution create the Electoral College?
The Framers (creators) of the Constitution did not trust the American people to choose the President directly.
When do electors vote?
The citizens of the United States always vote on the first Tuesday in November, but never November 1st. Even though that is when the popular vote takes place, and the results are usually known the following morning, election results do not become official until December. This is when the electors meet and officially vote.
When does the new President take office?
The new President takes the oath of office as President of the United States on January 20th.
How many electors are there?
There are 538 electors chosen for each presidential election. This number is based on the total number of representatives (members) of Congress: Senators: 100 (2 for each state) Representatives: 435 (based on the numbers of districts in each state. Districts are based on population) District of Columbia (D.C.) - 3
When Americans vote, what is it called?
When Americans vote, it is called the popular vote.
What happens when a candidate wins the popular vote in a state?
When a candidate wins the voting in a state, they win that state's number of electors. That's why big, populous states can be so important to candidates. This is also why candidates do heavy campaigning in states that have a large number of electoral votes.
Who are citizens actually voting for in the Presidential election?
When citizens vote for the Republican candidate, they are actually voting for the Republican elector in their state. Likewise, when citizens vote for the Democratic candidate for President, they are actually voting for the Democratic elector for the state.
Do citizens directly elect senators, representatives, governors and mayors?
Yes. When citizens vote for such offices as senators, representatives, governors, mayors, sheriffs, the majority vote wins.
