1. Electoral College

2. Electoral College Indirect system for choosing president
The Group of electors who are chosen in each state to officially elect the President and VP
US Constitution
Article II, Section 1
Electors for each state
Electoral votes for each state based on the number of senators (always 2) plus the number of its U.S. Representatives in the House
(at least 1) determined by census every 10 years
Electors cannot be (senators or House of Representatives) members of Congress

3. Size of Electoral College
Total number of electoral votes set at 538
100 Senators
435 House of Representatives
3 District of Columbia (Washington DC)
23rd Amendment (1961)
D.C. receives the minimum electoral votes a state could have.

4. Electoral College Amendment
Twelfth Amendment (1804)
Electors must cast one vote for President and one vote for Vice-President, instead of two votes for President.
President and Vice-President must be from 2 different states.
Prevents electors from voting only for “favorite sons” of their own state.

5. Why vote if Presidency is not won by popular vote?
Think of the Electoral College as 51 separate elections.
One election for each state and Washington D.C.
Voters in each state help their state’s electors choose which candidate gets the electoral votes from that state

6. Winner Take All System Example CA (55 Electoral Votes as of 2010)
In 48 states and Washington D.C., Which ever candidates gets the most popular votes wins the electoral votes from that state.
Example CA (55 Electoral Votes as of 2010)
If 50.1% CA voters in November 2016 vote democrat, then 55 CA democratic slate of electors each will have one vote to give to democratic candidate running for President in December 2016.

7. Split Allocation of Electoral Votes
Maine and Nebraska
Split their electoral votes based on both statewide popular vote and each district’s popular vote.
Example Maine has 4 electoral votes
2 votes are determined based on statewide election
Candidate that wins the statewide election will get 2 votes
2 remaining votes are determined by congressional districts votes
Winner of each Congressional district in those states receiving one electoral vote.

8. Swing States Swing States (Purple States)
States that do not consistently vote democrat or republican every 4 years
As we saw in the 2000 presidential election, Florida, the largest swing state, determined the outcome of the election.