answersLogoWhite

0

U.S. Electoral College

The U.S. Electoral College is the process by which U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents are chosen every four years. This process consists of the selection of electors, the meeting of electors, and the counting of votes by congress. The Electoral College was established by the founding fathers in the U.S. Constitution.

500 Questions

What are seen as some flaws in the electoral college?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

1) In close elections, the winner of the Electoral College may not have won a majority of the popular vote. (However, the only instance in which a candidate who received a majority(50%+1) but lost the election was in 1876; in 1888 and 2000 the winner of the popular vote lost, but no candidate had a majority.)

2) Electoral College members are chosen based on party loyalty and almost always vote in accordance with party wishes, not the will of the people. In fact, in some states it is against the law for an Electoral College member to vote against their party; however, these laws are unenforceable.

3) If under extreme circumstances the Electoral College is tied or deadlocked or there are unresolvable disputes over the validity of election returns, the House of Representatives chooses the president, using even more eccentric rules than the Electoral College. Each state gets one vote regardless of size, meaning Wyoming's vote would be in equal standing with California's, and conceivably a candidate with only a small fraction of the popular vote could win. However, this hasn't happened since 1824.

Of course, this all assumes that a direct popular election is preferable to an indirect election. The Electoral College also carries certain advantages over a popular election, including the fact that under the Electoral College, one candidate nearly always wins a majority of the electoral vote (regardless of their showing in the popular vote) and there is little need for runoff or second-round voting. And also, since the elections are compartmentalized by state, in extremely close contests, there is no need for costly and exhaustive nationwide recounts of 100+ million ballots.

What is the electoral college of Idaho?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

Idaho cast its 4 electoral votes for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. The popular vote count was Donald Trump 409,055 and Hillary Clinton 189,765. The political parties in each state choose slates of potential Electors sometime before the general election. The 2016 presidential electors from Idaho pledged to vote for Donald Trump for President and Mike Pence for Vice President were Layne Bangerter, Caleb Lakey, Jennifer Locke and Melinda Smyser.

How is it determined how each state votes in the house if there is a tie in the electoral college?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

If there is a tie in the electoral college, the presidential election is then decided by a contingent election in the House of Representatives. In this situation, each state delegation gets one vote, and they choose the president from the top three electoral vote winners. The candidate who secures a majority of state votes (26 votes in total) wins the presidency.

What was the second reason of why The Electoral College was created?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

To create a buffer between the population and the selected president.

How many electoral college votes did president roosevelt win in 1936?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

Incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt won reelection in the 1936 presidential election defeating Alfred Landon. In the 1936 presidential election Franklin Roosevelt received 523 electoral votes and Alfred Landon received 8 electoral votes. The popular vote totals were Roosevelt 27,757,333 and Landon 16,684,231.

What Electoral College meets to?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The Electoral College meets to formally cast their votes for the President and Vice President of the United States. This meeting takes place after the presidential election, usually in December. Each state's electors gather in their respective states and submit their votes, which are then transmitted to Congress for counting and certification in January.

Should the winner-take-all flaw of the electoral college become a a recurring problem it would likely cause?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

the losing candidate to lose faith in the electoral system, leading to decreased legitimacy and trust in the democratic process. It could also perpetuate feelings of disenfranchisement and deepen divisions within the country. Additionally, it could undermine the principle of majority rule and lead to a system where the popular vote does not align with the election outcome.

Name the electors in the kansas electoral college?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The electors in the Kansas Electoral College are typically chosen by the political parties in the state. Each party nominates a slate of electors who would vote for their respective party's candidate in the Electoral College. However, the specific names of the electors for a particular election may vary.

What amendment added 3 electors to the electoral college in 1961?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The 23rd Amendment added 3 electors to the Electoral College in 1961. It granted the residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote in presidential elections and be represented in the Electoral College. Prior to this amendment, residents of D.C. did not have the ability to participate in the presidential election process.

How many times has someone been elected President by a majority of the Electoral College votes when they lost the popular votes?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

According to historical records, there have been five instances in which a candidate was able to win the presidency by receiving a majority of Electoral College votes while losing the popular vote. These cases occurred in the elections of 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016. In each of these instances, the candidate who won the Electoral College vote ended up becoming the President, despite not receiving the majority of the popular vote.

Do we even need an electoral college anymore?

User Avatar

Asked by Rhunter961

The need for the electoral college is debatable. Supporters argue that it balances power between densely populated and less populated states, ensuring fair representation for all. Opponents argue that it can result in the winner of the popular vote not winning the presidency, undermining the democratic principle of one person, one vote. Ultimately, a thorough examination of its merits and drawbacks is necessary to determine its continued necessity.

Is the electoral college indirect or direct election?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The Electoral College is an indirect election system. Voters do not directly elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Instead, they vote for electors who then cast their votes for the candidates. These electors, typically chosen by the winning political party in each state, ultimately determine who becomes the President and Vice President.

What happens in step three of the Electoral Process?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

In step three of the electoral process, voters cast their ballots. This usually takes place on a designated election day, where eligible citizens go to polling stations to vote for their preferred candidates or propositions. Votes can be cast through various methods such as in-person voting, mail-in voting, or electronic voting machines, depending on the jurisdiction.

Who are New Hampshire electoral college?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The New Hampshire electoral college consists of electors chosen by the political parties in the state. They are typically loyal members of the party and are responsible for casting their votes for the presidential candidate that wins the popular vote in the state. The number of electors in New Hampshire is determined by the state's representation in Congress, which is currently 4.

Where Does the electoral college meet?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The Electoral College meets in the respective state capitals to cast their votes for President and Vice President. This typically takes place in December following the general election in November. However, it is important to note that there is no physical location where all the Electoral College members gather in one place. Each state has its own meeting location for their electors.

What amendment separated the vote for president and vice president in the electoral college in that same amendment who should choose the president if no one get a majority in the electoral college?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The Twelfth Amendment, ratified in 1804, separated the vote for president and vice president in the electoral college. If no candidate receives a majority in the electoral college, the amendment stipulates that the House of Representatives would choose the president from among the top three candidates. Each state delegation would have one vote in the House, and a candidate would need the support of a majority of state delegations to become president.

What did t he electoral college do in 1828?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

In 1828, the Electoral College performed its constitutional duty of electing the President and Vice President of the United States. The electoral votes were counted, and Andrew Jackson was elected as the seventh President of the United States.

What are the three stages of the electoral college?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The three stages of the Electoral College are:

  1. Nomination: Political parties nominate their candidates for president and vice president.
  2. Election: Voters cast their ballots for electors who then, in most states, pledge to support the candidate who won the popular vote in that state.
  3. Certification: The electors meet in their respective states to cast their votes, and the results are certified and sent to Congress, where they are officially counted and the winner is determined.

What are 4 presidential elections when the electoral college did not win?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

It seems you are asking for 4 presidential elections in which the candidate who won the popular vote did not win the electoral college. Here are four such examples:

  1. 1824: Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but lost the electoral college to John Quincy Adams.
  2. 1876: Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote but lost the electoral college to Rutherford B. Hayes.
  3. 1888: Grover Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the electoral college to Benjamin Harrison.
  4. 2000: Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the electoral college to George W. Bush.

What is the minimum number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency and why?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The minimum number of electoral votes needed to win the presidency is 270 out of a total of 538 electoral votes. This is because the United States uses an electoral college system, where each state is assigned a certain number of electors based on their population, and a candidate must secure a majority (50% plus one) of the electoral votes to become the president. The number of electoral votes per state is determined by the total number of representatives and senators each state has in Congress.

How many electoral college votes did Nixon get his first and second term?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

NUMBER of ELECTORAL VOTES RECIEVED by RICHARD M. NIXON:

  • 1952 : 442 votes for vice president (83.2%)
  • 1956 : 457 votes for vice president (86.1%)
  • 1960 : 219 votes for president (40.8%)
  • 1968 : 301 votes for president (55.9%)
  • 1972 : 520 votes for president (96.7%)

What 20th century elections were decided by electoral college?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

Some notable 20th century elections that were ultimately decided by the electoral college include the 1960 presidential election between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, where Kennedy won by a small margin in the electoral college despite a close popular vote, and the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, which resulted in a controversial Supreme Court ruling and Bush winning the electoral college despite losing the popular vote.

Why did the electoral college vote for Lincoln in 1860?

User Avatar

Asked by Wiki User

The electoral college voted for Lincoln in 1860 because he had won a majority of the electoral votes. Lincoln had secured significant support from the Northern states, which gave him the necessary number of electors to claim victory. Additionally, his opposition to the expansion of slavery appealed to the Republican Party, further solidifying his electoral support.