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Understanding the US Electoral College
An explanation of the US Electoral College: its history, function, and ongoing debate over its role in presidential elections.
Spanish
United States
PoliticsUs PoliticsElectionUsaGovernmentHistory
CnnSenateHouse Of RepresentativesPrriAtlantic
Mitch McconnellJohn F. KennedyPaul Lepage
- How does the Electoral College work?
- The Electoral College functions by assigning electors to each state based on its total number of representatives and senators. Each state gets at least three electors, and the candidate with the most electors in a state typically wins all of that state's electoral votes.
- What happens if there's a tie in the Electoral College?
- A tie in the Electoral College sends the election to the House of Representatives, where each state delegation casts one vote to decide among the top three candidates. If no VP majority is reached, the Senate elects the VP.
- Who supports and opposes the Electoral College, and why?
- Supporters of the Electoral College argue it prevents a national popular vote recount, which would be messy and prone to disputes. Opponents, however, advocate for a simpler, more direct democracy with a national popular vote.
- Why did the Founding Fathers create the Electoral College?
- Constitutionalists chose the Electoral College system as a compromise, fearing uninformed voters, powerful factions, and domination by populous states. It also sought to balance the power of states with differing populations.
- How has the Electoral College changed over time, and are there current efforts to change it?
- The Electoral College has been amended three times, changing how electors vote and granting electors to Washington D.C. Despite past attempts, abolishing it remains difficult due to constitutional requirements and political gridlock.