1. The Electoral College 6/25/2018
Political Science Module Developed by PQE

2. Political Science Module Developed by PQE
Electoral College
Electoral College - The Basics
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

3. Historical Background
How to elect president:
Congress selects
Popular election
Electoral College = compromise
Gives states power to elect president
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

4. Political Science Module Developed by PQE
State Electoral Votes
Each state is given a number of electoral votes which is equal to the State sum of its representation in the U.S. House and Senate
Texas: 36 House members plus 2 senators = 38 electoral votes
Arkansas: 4 House members plus 2 senators = 6 electoral votes
Total: 435 House members plus 100 senators plus 3 electors for the District of Columbia = 538 electoral votes
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

5. Political Science Module Developed by PQE
Electors
When you vote in your state you are actually voting for electors
Texas elects 38 electors to cast the state’s 38 electoral votes.
Framers anticipated that electors would be state leaders who would exercise good judgment.
Electors are chosen by the party or person who wins that particular state
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

6. When the Electoral College Votes
Each state determines the manner of selection
All but two states use a winner-take-all statewide election system
If Candidate A gets the most votes in a state, Candidate A gets the whole slate of electors.
Maine and Nebraska award electors based on the statewide vote and the vote in each of the state’s congressional districts.
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

7. So… how do you win the presidency?
In order to win the election and become president a candidate must win a majority of electoral votes
There are 538 electoral votes, so a candidate needs 270 to win
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

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6/25/2018

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11. Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

12. Political Science Module Developed by PQE
The 2000 Election
The Popular Vote
Al Gore 50,996,039
George W. Bush 50,456,141
The Electoral Vote
George W. Bush 271
Al Gore 267
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

13. What if no one receives a majority?
If no candidate has a majority:
the House selects the president from among the three presidential candidates with the most electoral votes
Each state delegation has one vote.
This last happened in 1824 when Congress chose John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson and William Crawford.
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

14. 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.
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

15. Political Science Module Developed by PQE
Discussion Question
How does the electoral college impact candidate strategy in presidential election campaigns?
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018

16. Political Science Module Developed by PQE
Will Reform Happen?
Amending the Constitution is not easy.
Small states would be opposed to reform because they benefit from the current system.
Groups that are concentrated in states with large numbers of electoral votes (such as Cuban Americans, Jewish Americans, urban residents, etc.) would be opposed to reform because it would diminish their influence.
Political Science Module Developed by PQE
6/25/2018