1. The Electoral College
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2. True or False?
The candidate with the most votes is elected president. Answer: Not necessarily. Ask Al Gore.
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3. The 2000 Election The Popular Vote The Electoral Vote
Al Gore 50,996,039
George W. Bush 50,456,141
The Electoral Vote
George W. Bush 271
Al Gore 267
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4. Historical Background
The framers of the Constitution disagreed on how to elect a president
Congressional selection…why not?
direct popular election…why not?
The electoral college was a compromise
combining features of both approaches.
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5. The Electoral College and Federalism
The electoral college also reflects the federal nature of the Constitution
Ensures that the states have a role in selecting the president.
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6. State Electoral Votes
Each state is entitled to as many electoral votes as the sum of its representation
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. House of Senate
Wisconsin: 8 House members plus 2 senators = 10 electoral votes
Total:
435 House members
100 senators
3 electors for the District of Columbia
= 538 electoral votes
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8. How are electors chosen?
Two groups of electors are chosen: Republican electors and Democratic electors.
Whichever candidate has the most popular vote in each state wins the electoral votes from that state.
When you are voting for a Presidential candidate you are also voting for a group of electors, too.

9. Who are the Electors?
Individuals selected in each state to officially cast that state’s electoral votes.
Wisconsin selects 10 electors to cast the state’s 10 electoral votes.
Framers anticipated that electors would be state leaders who would exercise good judgment.
Today, party leaders select electors who are typically long-time party activists.
Electors almost always vote for their party’s candidates.
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10. Delegate Votes Divided
Each state determines the manner of selection
All but two states use a winner-take-all delegates statewide election system
Nebraska
Maine
Everyone else (Including Wisconsin)
If Candidate A gets the most votes in a state, Candidate A gets all of the delegates.
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11. Voters and Electors Therefore,
A Wisconsinite who votes for Obama is really voting for a elector pledged to cast the state’s electoral votes for Obama.
Remember:
In 2000, Bush won all of Florida’s 25 electoral votes because the final official vote tally showed him ahead of Gore by about 600 votes.
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12. The Real Election In December of election year In January
The electors gather in their respective state capitols to cast ballots for president and vice president.
In January
Congress comes into session
They open the ballots received from each state
They announce the official outcome.
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13. What if no one receives a majority?
To win, a candidate needs a majority,
270 electoral votes.
If no candidate has a majority
the House of Representatives selects the president from among the three presidential candidates with the most electoral votes.
If this happens, each state has one vote.
Happened only once!
1824 Congress chose John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson and Henry Clay.
The Senate selects the vice president from the top two vice- presidential candidates.
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14. Popular Vote v. the Electoral Vote
In a close race, the popular vote winner may not win the electoral college.
One candidate may win states by lopsided margins while the other wins states by narrow margins.
Electoral vote winners who lost the popular vote
Bush over Gore in 2000
Benjamin Harrison over Grover Cleveland in 1888
Rutherford B. Hayes over Samuel Tilden in 1876
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15. Criticisms of the Electoral College
The popular vote winner may lose the presidency.
Electors may vote for persons other than their party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates.
If no candidate receives a majority, Congress will pick the president and vice president.
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16. Strategic consequences of the Electoral College
Candidates focus on big states with lots of Electoral Votes
Candidates focus on swing states, where money and face time might make a difference

17. Sure things Total: 169 Total: 147 REPUBLICAN STATES: DEMOCRATIC STATES
AL: 9, AR: 3, AK: 6, GA: 15, ID: 4, KS: 6, KY: 8, LA: 9, MS: 6, MT: 3, NE: 5, ND: 3, OK: 7, SC: 8, SD: 3, TX: 34, UT: 5, WY: 3.
Total: 147
DEMOCRATIC STATES
CA: 55, CT: 7, DE: 3, DC: 3, HI: 4, IL: 21, ME: 4, MD: 10, MA: 12, NJ: 15, NY: 31, RI: 4, VT: 3
Total: 169

18. The purple states The West: The Midwest: Border states:
Arizona: 10 EV, Colorado: 9 EV, Nevada: 5 EV,
New Mexico: 5 EV, Oregon: 7 EV, Washington: 11 EV
The Midwest:
Minnesota: 10 EV, Iowa: 7 EV, Missouri: 11 EV, Ohio: 20 EV, Pennsylvania: 21 EV, Michigan 17 EV, Indiana 11
Wisconsin: 10 EV,
Border states:
Tennessee: 11 EV, West Virginia: 5 EV, Virginia 13
The South: Florida: 27 EV, North Carolina, 15
The North: New Hampshire: 4 EV

20. Review Question
North Carolina has 13 U.S. representatives. How many electoral votes does the state have?
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21. Review Question
Who are electors?
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22. Review Question
Does it matter whether a candidate carries a state by a few votes or a lot of votes?
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