electoral college Flashcards
What happens in the electoral college?
each state is awarded a certain number of electoral college votes. This number is equal to that states representation in congress - the number of senators ( 2 for every state) plus the number of representatives.
-In 2020 California had 55 ( 2 + 53 ) while Wyoming had just 3( 2 + 1). There are 538 electoral college votes.
how many electoral college votes do you have to win an election?
To win the presidency a candidate must win an absolute majority which is 270.
what is the winner takes all rule?
The popular votes for each candidates are counted in each state. In all but two states whichever candidate does win the most popular vote receives all the electoral college votes of that states the so called the winner takes all rule. This rule is purely a convention that developed in the 19th centaury in most states.
what are the exceptions to the winner takes all rule?
Exceptions are maine and Nebraska where the electoral college votes are allocated differently two votes to the overall winner of the popular vote across the whole state and the rest to the winner in each congressional district.
What happens in the electoral college?
The electoral college never meets together. Its members called electors meet in their respective state capitals on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December.
What does the vice president do in the electoral college?
The vice president formally counts the electoral college votes and announces the result to a joint concession of congress in early January.
-This was the moment on 6 January 2021 when vice president mike pence refused to overturn the electoral college votes of states that trump falsely claimed to have won.
-It was during this period that the capital was invaded by a pro trump mob causing the proceedings to be haltered.
when could no candidate win an electoral college?
it could happen if either a 269 269 split occurred between two candidates or if more than two candidates won electoral college votes.
-Former situation almost occurred in 2000. The latter situation might have occurred in 1968 when the party candidate George Wallace won five states with 45 electoral college votes.
what happens when no candidate does win the electoral college?
-The president would be elected by the house of representatives from the presidential candidate with the most electoral college votes.
each state would have one vote.
The winner require an absolute majority 26 out of the 50 votes. Balloting would continue until one candidate merged as the winner.
-The vice president would be elected by the senate from the two vice presidents with the most electoral college votes. Each senator would have one vote. The winner would require an absolute majority 51 out of the 100 votes again balloting would continue until this has occurred.
when has the electoral college failed?
only twice has the electoral college failed to come up with a result and the result has been thrown to congress in 1800 and 1824.
what issues arise from the electoral college?
In 2016 as in 2000 the popular vote winner lost in the electoral college. In 2016 had just over 77000 trump voters switched to Clinton in the three states Michigan Pennsylvania and Wisconsin Clinton would have won the election.
-It also nearly happened in 2020. Had around just 60000 Biden voters switched to trump in three states Arizona Pennsylvania and Wisconsin trump would have had the 273 electoral college voters to Biden 265, although Biden would have still won the popular vote by around 7 million voters.
what did joe Biden need to win California?
He needed over 308000 votes to win each electoral college votes.
What did donald trump need to win Wyoming?
He needed just under 120000 voters to win each electoral college vote. So if California was awarded electoral college votes in the same proportion as Wyoming it would have not 55 but 183 electoral college voters.
what are the strengths of the electoral college?
It does preserve the voice of the small population states.
-the small population states still worry that if the electoral college was abolished he votes of their inhabitants would be become almost worthless swept aside by the size of such states as California, Texas, new York and Florida.
-in the first presidential election in 1788 of the 13 states the smallest had 3 electoral college votes while the largest virgina had 12.
-By 2020 California had 55 electoral college votes, more than 18 times states such as Wyoming and Alaska with just 3.
what are the strengths of the electoral college?
it reflects the federal nature of the usa.
-the electoral college is very much state based with each state having a certain amount of leeway in how its electors are selected.
-Maine and Nebraska use the congressional district methods rather than winner takes all.
what are the strengths of the electoral college?
tends to promote a two horse race.
-it is important for a presidential election, who is both chief executive and head of state a symbol of national unity .
-in such a two horse race the winner will tend to receive more than 50% of the popular vote, an aid to a uniting nation.
-in 27 of the 40 elections held between 1964 and 2020 two thirds the winner gained more than half of the popular vote.
