1. The Presidential Election Process

2. Logistics of the Electoral College
Remember – 270
Logistics of the Electoral College
Total available votes = 538
= 538
Electors are determined by the number of Representatives, plus the number of Senators
Minimum number a state can have is 3
Representation is based on population, therefore, electors are based on population.
Where are these 3 electoral votes from?

3. More on the Electoral College
It’s a WINNER-TAKE-ALL
If you get the majority of the popular vote then you get all of the ELECTORAL VOTES for that state.
Remember it takes 270 electoral votes to win

4. Choosing Electors
Electors are chosen on the same day in every state: the Tuesday after the first Monday in November…what’s significant about this date?
When voters go to the poles in November, they are voting for an elector NOT the President. (November 4, 2008)
Ideally, this elector will vote for their choice in January…NOT a requirement

5. Electoral College Breakdown
If you were running which states would you focus on?
Why?

6. Counting the Electoral Votes
These electors are chosen by voters
These electors then report to the state capital to cast their 2 votes
When? – Monday after the second Wednesday in December
Who are the 2 ballots for?
> This is basically a formality –
we actually know the night of the election who won the election

7. Counting the Electoral Votes
The electoral ballots are sent to the President of the Senate
On January 6th they are tallied with a Joint Session of Congress
And the winner is “formally” announced

8. CHECKPOINT How many electoral college votes does Georgia have?
How do they determine the number of electoral votes that a state has?
How many electoral votes do you need to win the Presidential Election?

9. The “What Ifs” of the Electoral College
What if no one get 270?
Election goes to the House of Representatives (1800 & 1824)
Each State gets one vote – 26 to win it
What if the House vote has not been decided by Jan 20th?
Vice President will preside until the President is determined
What if the no one received 270 for Vice Presidency?
Senate will determine the VP and then they will preside until the President is determined

10. Popular-Vote vs. Electoral College Vote
Red or Blue…
Who should be elected?
This happened in 2000

11. Flaws in the Electoral College System
1) Winner of the popular vote may not win the electoral college vote
> This has happened 4 times
2) Electors are not required to vote for “their” candidate
> “Faithless electors” on 9 occasions
3) Election might be decided by the House
> This has happened twice
> Look out for a 3rd party candidate to take a chunk

12. Proposed Changes District Plan – Proportional Plan – Direct Plan –
> Each district within a state would cast their “own” electoral vote
Proportional Plan –
> Percentage of electoral votes for the state based on percentage of popular vote from that state
Direct Plan –
> Popular vote winner, wins the office
National Bonus Plan –
> 102 electoral votes would be awarded automatically to the winner of the popular vote. These votes would be combined with the other electoral votes that the candidate won.

13. Strengths of the Electoral College
It’s a “known” system
In most cases it identifies a winner quickly and certainly
Most of the reforms would have “loop-holes” too

14. 2004 Presidential Election by State
2004 Presidential Election by State
Republican
Democrat

15. 2004 - Election Results by County

16. Election of 2000 (Florida)

17. One last thing… A timeline to sum it up
Decision to run – meets 3 qualifications
Electors cast votes, mail to D.C.
Inauguration
National Conventions
Primaries, Caucus, State Conventions
Electoral votes are counted
Election
Debate & Campaign

18. The Executive Branch II
Presidential Succession &
The Vice President

19. Presidential Succession
Original Wording
“power and duties” of the office (not the actual office were to go to the Vice Pres.)
25th Amendment
In case of removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become president.

20. Presidential Succession
25th
Presidential Succession
Before the 25th Amendment (in 1967) the Vice President took over anyway.
John Tyler set this precedent when W.H. Harrison died after being in office only one month.
So what if something happens to the Vice President too????

21. Presidential Succession Act of 1947
We’ve got it covered…
Presidential Succession Act of 1947
18 positions are outlined
Vice President
Speaker of the House
Pro Tempore of the Senate
Sec. of State
Sec. of Treasury
Sec. of Defense
Attorney General
Sec. of Interior
Sec. of Agriculture
Sec. of Commerce
Sec. of Labor
Sec. of Health and Human Services
Sec. of HUD
Sec. of Transportation
Sec. of Energy
Sec. of Education
Sec. of Veterans Affairs
Sec. of Homeland Security

22. (Know these for the Quiz)
The Vice President Dick Cheney
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
President pro tempore of the Senate Robert Byrd
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

23. Presidential Disability
The Nation “played with fate”
Used twice – Reagan & Bush
Presidential Disability
What if the President is only disabled – like if he has a heart attack or something…
25th Amendment also details this predicament
The VP is to become President if…
The President informs Congress in writing that he is unable to serve
The VP and the Cabinet inform congress that the President is unable to serve
The President can resume duties when / if able

24. Checkpoint
List the next 4 persons to assume the Presidency, if the President is unable to serve…

25. The Vice President
John Adams: I am the Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything.”
9 VPs have taken over in the middle of a Term
8 for deaths
1 for resignation
Did you know…
The President can’t
remove the VP from
office.

26. Introduction: The Electoral College
One of the least understood parts of our government, yet it is one of the most important…

27. 2004 Election By state, with changes made for population

28. Electoral Votes Recap
538
435 3
100

29. 2004 Election (Wave = visit) ($ = money)
Focus on Swing States – by-products of the winner-take-all format

30. Exceptions to the winner-take-all…
Maine and Nebraska
2 electors (at-large) go with the popular vote winner
All of the other votes are divided among the Congressional Districts
That is…If Cherokee’s 6th District (Tom Price, Roswell) voted for Candidate A, Candidate A would get “our” electoral vote, regardless of what the rest of the state voted.