Contents
- 1 How does the popular vote affect the electoral college?
- 2 How are electoral votes determined?
- 3 What is the Electoral College in simple terms?
- 4 Do all electoral votes go to one candidate?
- 5 Can the popular vote override the Electoral College?
- 6 What are the three major flaws of the electoral college system?
- 7 Who chooses the members of the Electoral College?
- 8 Can a state split electoral votes?
- 9 How many electoral votes does each state get on a map?
- 10 Why did they create the Electoral College?
- 11 How are electoral votes per state?
- 12 When must electoral vote?
- 13 What happens if the electoral votes are not certified?
- 14 What date does the Electoral College vote in 2020?
- 15 What happens if no candidate gets the majority of electoral votes?
How does the popular vote affect the electoral college?
When citizens cast their ballots for president in the popular vote, they elect a slate of electors. Electors then cast the votes that decide who becomes president of the United States. Usually, electoral votes align with the popular vote in an election.
How are electoral votes determined?
Under the “Electoral College” system, each state is assigned a certain number of “votes”. The formula for determining the number of votes for each state is simple: each state gets two votes for its two US Senators, and then one more additional vote for each member it has in the House of Representatives.
What is the Electoral College in simple terms?
The United States Electoral College is a name used to describe the official 538 Presidential electors who come together every four years during the presidential election to give their official votes for President and Vice President of the United States. No state can have fewer than three electors.
Do all electoral votes go to one candidate?
Most states require that all electoral votes go to the candidate who receives the most votes in that state. After state election officials certify the popular vote of each state, the winning slate of electors meet in the state capital and cast two ballots—one for Vice President and one for President.
Can the popular vote override the Electoral College?
The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact does not eliminate the Electoral College or affect faithless elector laws; it merely changes how electors are pledged by the participating states.
What are the three major flaws of the electoral college system?
Three criticisms of the College are made:
- It is “undemocratic;”
- It permits the election of a candidate who does not win the most votes; and.
- Its winner-takes-all approach cancels the votes of the losing candidates in each state.
Who chooses the members of the Electoral College?
Who selects the electors? Choosing each State’s electors is a two-part process. First, the political parties in each State choose slates of potential electors sometime before the general election. Second, during the general election, the voters in each State select their State’s electors by casting their ballots.
Can a state split electoral votes?
Under the District Method, a State’s electoral votes can be split among two or more candidates, just as a state’s congressional delegation can be split among multiple political parties. As of 2008, Nebraska and Maine are the only states using the District Method of distributing electoral votes.
How many electoral votes does each state get on a map?
Electoral College Certificates and Votes by State
| State | Number of Electoral Votes for Each State | For President |
|---|---|---|
| California | 55 | – |
| Colorado | 9 | – |
| Connecticut | 7 | – |
| Delaware | 3 | – |
50
Why did they create the Electoral College?
The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as an alternative to electing the president by popular vote or by Congress. Several weeks after the general election, electors from each state meet in their state capitals and cast their official vote for president and vice president.
How are electoral votes per state?
Electoral votes are allocated among the States based on the Census. Every State is allocated a number of votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation—two votes for its senators in the U.S. Senate plus a number of votes equal to the number of its Congressional districts.
When must electoral vote?
December 14, 2020: Electors Vote in Their States Monday after the second Wednesday in December of presidential election years is set (3 U.S.C. §7) as the date on which the electors meet and vote. In 2020, the meeting is on December 14.
What happens if the electoral votes are not certified?
The President and Vice President must achieve a majority of electoral votes (270) to be elected. In the absence of a majority, the House selects the President, and the Senate selects the Vice President. If they do not concur, the votes of the electors certified by the Governor of the State would be counted in Congress.
What date does the Electoral College vote in 2020?
December 14, 2020—electors vote in their States.
What happens if no candidate gets the majority of electoral votes?
If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the Presidential election leaves the Electoral College process and moves to Congress. The Senate elects the Vice President from the 2 Vice Presidential candidates with the most electoral votes. Each Senator casts one vote for Vice President.