Chapter 13 Electoral College

How does a candidate win

Each state's electoral votes are awarded on a winner-take-all basis (except in Maine and Nebraska). The candidate with the most popular votes in a state—whether the margin of victory is 3 votes or 3 million—gets all of that state's electoral votes.

If one candidate wins the popular vote and another wins the electoral vote, who becomes president

Electoral vote wins

What exactly is the Electoral College?

It's just 538 people from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., called electors. According to the Constitution, they are responsible for electing the President and Vice President. The winner needs a majority — 270 — of the 538 electoral votes.

What if no candidate get a 270 vote majority

The House elects the President (each state gets one vote), and the Senate elects the Vice President, with each Senator getting one vote

Why did the Founding Fathers establish this system?

To establish a role for the states in national elections (Founding Fathers didn't want the President and Vice President to be chosen directly by the people, or by Congress) - and to protect the country from what they saw as an ill-informed populace

Can one candidate win the popular vote and another win the electoral vote?

Yes, and the electoral vote determines who will be President.

How many electoral votes does each state get?

same number as its delegation in Congress: however many seats it has in the House of Representatives (which is based on population) and the Senate (always 2). For example, Colorado has 7 Representatives and 2 Senators, so it gets 9 electoral votes

Do electors actually cast their votes

usually a formality, but in December, the electors representing the candidate who won their state's popular vote meet in their state capital and cast their votes

If these 538 electors choose the President, what is the election all about

voting for a slate of electors from their state who have pledged to support your candidate