Electoral College

Gore America's two leading Presidential candidates, Vice President Al Gore and Texas Governor George W. Bush, are running the closest race in years. They are statistically tied in popular polls (Bush has a fractional lead as of October 29), each candidate hovering around the 45% mark, with Ralph Nader and a few other 3rd-party candidates taking a few of the remaining points.

Bush But winning the popular vote does not necessarily mean winning the election. In fact, it never has. Since the founding of the United States, the final outcome of every presidential election has been decided by the several hundred electors in the Electoral College.

What is the Electoral College? How and when do the electors cast their vote? And why do some politicians believe it's time for that system to change? You'll find out in this week's online lesson.

How the Electoral College Works

Federal Election Commission The Electoral College is made up of 535 people who are responsible for voting on behalf of their state. The number of electoral votes is based on the number of U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives in each state. Small states like Delaware, Vermont, and South Dakota have only 3 electoral votes. The state with the most electoral votes—a whopping 54—is California. State by state, the candidate who wins the most votes on Election Day gets all the state’s electoral votes. Two hundred seventy votes are needed to win the White House.

Learn exactly how the Electoral College works by visiting the web site of the Federal Election Commission, the agency responsible for ensuring fair elections. Go to the Electoral College menu and read How the Electoral College Works.

Who can be a state Elector? When do Electors actually cast their vote? What happens if no presidential candidate wins an absolute majority (at least 50%) of the electoral votes?

If it seems a bit confusing (it is), try reading What is the Electoral college??? This excellent summary is provided by the Santa Cruz County Elections Department. It gives a bit more of the history and rationale behind the Electoral College, and discusses the pro's and con's of the system.

Electoral Analysis for 2000

Electoral Votes Presidential campaigns are acutely aware of the way the Electoral College operates. Their entire campaign strategy is built around it, especially near the end of a close race. In this final week before Decision 2000, both candidates are campaigning hard in battleground states (think Civil War era) where the Electoral vote remains undecided.

Learn how the Electoral College is driving the Bush and Gore campaigns by reading this Washington Post article, Analysis: Campaign 2000 and the Electoral College. What states are considered "must win" for Gore? What are the "must win" for the Bush campaign? Which states will be decisive in this election?

For the latest view of Electoral College predictions based on national polls, visit Portrait of America: Electoral College Results. Review the Electoral tracking totals, and then look at the outlook for each state?

Reevaluating the Electoral College

Since it is possible that a candidate can win the popular vote and still lose the presidential race, some believe it's time to scrap the Electoral College system altogether. There has even been a constitutional amendment discussed in congress that would reform or eliminate the EC. For a discussion of these issues, visit Policy.com's briefing Time to Reform the Electoral College?

What are the drawbacks of the Electoral College as mentioned in the article? What are two reasons for keeping the election system as it is?

At the end of the article you will find links to resources for or against the Electoral College. Follow all six of these links and read each position. What is your position on this issue?