Electoral College

How many discretionary votes do states get in the Electoral College?

270 discretionary votes

How many Electoral College votes are required to win a presidential election?

538 votes

How many electors do they have?

55

How many votes does Kansas get?

6 votes

What is the difference between the "winner-takes-all" electoral system and the "district system?"

A proportional system distributes the seats of congress by number of votes, winner takes all has a single party member from the district system chose plurality of votes.

What is the 3rd major flaw of the Electoral College according to Tom Golisano?

Because of the winner-takes-all rule, the states and the flyover states are divided.

Which state has the most Electors?

California

Can citizens in U.S. Territories vote for president?

It depends on where exactly they live

Why do we still have the Electoral College?

It is written in the Constitution which makes it very difficult to change and there are still many people who support the EC.

What is the 2nd major flaw of the Electoral College according to Tom Golisano?

Not every vote counts equally.

Who selects the Electors?

President

What are the two most common ways electors are selected?

State Party Convention and State Party Committee

What Constitutional Amendment outlines what happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?

The 12th Amendment determines that the House of Representatives is in charge of making the decision in the case of a tie.

How is it possible for the electoral vote to produce a different result than the nationwide popular vote?

The electoral vote is not to determine the statistics but the winner of the votes overall.

Explain the idea of the "faithless elector."

The idea of the faithless elector is the elector that does not actually elect anyone in the parties they are supposed to vote for.

When do the members of the Electoral College meet to vote for the president?

The members meet on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.

What is the number 1 major flaw of the Electoral College according to Tom Golisano?

The person with the most votes is not guaranteed to win the presidency.

Do electors have to vote for the candidate who won their state's popular vote?

They do not have to vote for their given candidate but in some states they are required to vote for the one with the most popular votes.

Why was the Electoral College founded?

To help select a President and VP

What happens if no presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes?

the House of Representatives decides