Electoral College

• What was the electoral college originally intended as?

  A compromise between electing the President by a vote in Congress and election by popular vote of qualified citizens
• The Electoral college was a unique mechanism reflecting eh founding father‘s intent to balance the will of the people with the interests of states in a federal system
• How many electors are in the Electoral College?

  538 (corresponding to no. of US Senators and Representatives, plus 3 electors from the District of Columbia)
• During the presidential election, voters in each state cast their ballots for a group of electors who are committed to supporting a specific candidate. This means that the outcome of the popular vote in each state determines which electors will be appointed to represent that state in the Electoral College.
• How many electoral votes does a candidate need to win?

  270
• Most states operate on a winner takes all meaning the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state earns all of its electoral votes
• What are the two states that uses proportional systems to allocate electoral votes?

  Maine and Nebraska
• After the election, the chosen electors meet in their respective states to cast their votes for President and Vice President. These votes are then sent to Congress’s, where they are officially counted in a join session in January following the election
• What are rogue or faithless electors?

  Those who vote contrary to whom they pledged to support
• How many faithless electors were there in 2016?

  7
• In 2020, there were no faithless electors, reflecting tighter state laws binding electors‘ votes
• If there is no majority, who chooses the VP?

  The Senate
• If there is no majority, who chooses the president?

  The House