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What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is not a “college” at all but
“electors” chosen from each state.
The Electoral College process is used to select the
president and vice president of the United States.
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College was established
by the U.S. Congress in 1789. Why?
The founding fathers did not like the
idea of a popular election. They were
concerned that presidents would
always come from states with high
populations. They also wondered if the
public would have the knowledge
necessary to make a wise choice.
Obviously, they did not have 24-hour
news services as we do today!
The Electoral College is not a
“college” at all but “electors” chosen
from each state. The Electoral College
process is used to select the president
and vice president of the United
States.
How the Electoral College Works
The people in each state vote for the
president. The results in a state
determine which electors are selected
for that state. All the electoral votes for
that state go for the candidate that gets
the most votes in that state.
The electoral votes for all 50 states are
added and the candidate with the
majority of the votes wins!
How Many Electoral Votes Does
Each State Get?
Remember, the number of electors
from each state is based on the state’s
representation in Congress. For
example, the most populous state,
California, has 55 electors. The least
populous states—Alaska, Delaware,
Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Vermont, and Wyoming—have three
electors each.
The map below shows how many
electoral votes each state has.
How Many Electoral Votes Are
Required to Win?
There are a total of 538 electoral
votes. To be elected, a candidate must
receive a majority of the electoral
votes—at least 270 votes.
How do we arrive at 538 electoral
votes?
100 senators
435 representatives in the House
3 electors for Washington, D.C.
= 538 electoral votes
Why and When was the Electoral College Established?
The Electoral College was established by the U.S.
Congress in 1789.
The founding fathers did not like the idea of a popular
election.
They were concerned that presidents would always
come from states with high populations.
They also wondered if the public would have the
knowledge necessary to make a wise choice.
How the Electoral College Works
The people in each state vote for the president.
The results of the popular vote in a state
determine which electors are selected for that
state. (Democratic or Republican)
All the electoral votes for that state go for the
candidate that gets the most votes in that state.
The electoral votes for all 50 states are added and
the candidate with the majority of the votes wins!
A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win
How Many Electoral Votes Are Required to Win?
There are a total of 538 electoral votes.
To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of
the electoral votes - at least 270 votes.
Why are there 538 electoral votes?
100 senators ( 2 per state)
435 representatives in the House (based on population per state)
3 electors for Washington, D.C.
538 electoral votes
The Electoral College system is “winner take all.”
The candidate with the most popular votes gets ALL
of the electoral votes
Except in Maine and Nebraska where the electoral
votes can be divided
Counting the Votes
The electors then meet in the State capitol to cast votes
for the candidate they represent
The Monday after the 2nd Wednesday in December
Those votes are then sent to the president of the Senate
in Washington D.C.
The president of the Senate counts the votes on
January 6th in front of the Congress
What if no one wins or there is a tie?
If no Presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes,
the US House of Representatives takes a vote to
determine the winner
This happened in 1800 and 1824
In 1824 presidential election of, John Quincy Adams was
elected President on February 9, 1825, after the election was
decided by the House of Representatives
It’s possible to win the popular vote but lose the
electoral vote?
The 2000 Presidential Election
 Al Gore - Democratic Candidate (blue)
 50,992,335 popular votes
 266 electoral votes
 George W Bush – Republican Candidate (red)
 50,455,156 popular votes (537,179 votes less)
 271 electoral votes
The Final Counting of the Votes:
 Florida, a swing state, had a major recount dispute that took center stage
in the election.
 Election Day was November 7th and the recount was finally decided on
December 13th (approximately 5 weeks later)
 Bush won Florida by only 537 votes
 He received all of Florida’s Electoral Votes and thus won the election
Activity
1. Look at the electoral map
2. If you were running for President with limited money and could only
focus on a few states, where would you focus your campaign?
3. List the states, in order, that you would need to win the necessary 270
Electoral College votes.