What are the 3 major flaws of the Electoral College?
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.
What are electoral college votes based on?
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.
Do the electoral votes correlate with the popular vote?
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.
Why some states have more electoral votes?
Under the „Electoral College“ system, each state is assigned a certain number of „votes“. There are a total of 538 electoral votes, and the number of votes each state receives is proportional to its size — the bigger the state’s population the more „votes“ it gets.
Which states have the most electoral votes?
Currently, there are 538 electors, based on 435 representatives, 100 senators from the fifty states and three electors from Washington, D.C. The six states with the most electors are California (55), Texas (38), New York (29), Florida (29), Illinois (20), and Pennsylvania (20).
Why is 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.
Do all of a states electoral votes go to one candidate?
Electors. 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.
What happens if the electoral votes are not certified?
If they do not concur, the votes of the electors certified by the Governor of the State would be counted in Congress. Office and become the President of the United States and Vice President of the United States, respectively.
What happens if no one gets 270 electoral votes 2020?
What happens if no presidential candidate gets 270 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.
What happens if no one wins Electoral College?
A candidate must receive an absolute majority of electoral votes (currently 270) to win the presidency or the vice presidency. If no candidate receives a majority in the election for president or vice president, that election is determined via a contingency procedure established by the 12th Amendment.
What happens after Electoral College votes?
If no candidate receives the majority of electoral votes, the vote goes to the House of Representatives. House members choose the new president from among the top three candidates. The Senate elects the vice president from the remaining top two candidates. This has only happened once.
Can electors vote for whoever they want?
Specifically, the opinion held that electors have a constitutional right to vote for the presidential candidate of their choice and are not bound by any prior pledges they may have made.
Has the Electoral College ever voted against popular vote?
Only four times in American history (1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016) has a presidential candidate lost the popular vote but achieved the Electoral College majority, thereby assuming the presidency; in the last three such cases, no candidate polled an absolute majority of the popular vote.
Who appoints electoral college members?
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.
Where does the Electoral College meet?
On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December, the electors meet in their respective States. The State legislature designates where in the State the meeting will take place, usually in the State capital. At this meeting, the electors cast their votes for President and Vice President.
How many states have certified their electoral votes?
Electoral College Certificates and Votes by State
| State | Number of Electoral Votes for Each State | For Vice-President |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 3 | 3 |
| Arizona | 11 | – |
| Arkansas | 6 | 6 |
| California | 55 | – |
What are the qualifications of an elector?
What are the qualifications to be an elector? Article II, Section 1, clause 2 of the Constitution states that “no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.”
Who are the electors in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania’s 2020 electors are Nina Ahmad, Val Arkoosh, Cindy Bass, Rick Bloomingdale, Ryan Boyer, Paige Gebhardt Cognetti, Daisy Cruz, Kathy Dahlkemper, Janet Diaz, Charles Hadley, Jordan Harris, Malcolm Kenyatta, Gerald Lawrence, Clifford Levine, Virginia McGregor, Nancy Mills, Marian Moskowitz, Josh Shapiro.
Who are the 2020 Electoral College members?
California
- Agustin Arreola – Community Organizer, 23, Thermal.
- Joy Atkinson.
- Katherine Bancroft – Native American Activist, Lone Pine.
- Kara Bechtle – Tuolumne County Democratic Party, Soulsbyville.
- Brandon Benjamin – Campaign Staffer, Liam O’Mara, Corona.
- Janine Bera, MD – Wife of Congressman Ami Bera.
How many electoral votes does Pennsylvania hold?
Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes in the Electoral College. Although Trump had won the state in 2016 by a narrow margin of 0.72%, Biden was able to reclaim the state, winning it by a 1.17% margin.
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 are Nebraska’s electoral votes distributed?
Nebraska has five electoral votes in the Electoral College, two from the state at large, and one each from the three congressional districts.
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 | – |
How many points is Alaska electoral votes?
Each state gets a number of electors equal to its U.S. Congressional representation. Based on this, Alaska has three electors. State law determines how the names of the electors are chosen.
How does a president win a state?
How does a candidate win a state’s electoral votes? Voters in each state choose electors by casting a vote for the presidential candidate of their choice. The slate winning the most popular votes is the winner. In those states, electoral votes are proportionally allocated.
Who won Nebraska in 2016?
Trump carried the state with 58.7% of the vote, while Clinton received 33.7%.
Who is running for US Senate in Nebraska?
2020 United States Senate election in Nebraska
| Nominee | Ben Sasse | Chris Janicek |
| Party | Republican | Democratic |
| Popular vote | 583,507 | 227,191 |
| Percentage | 62.7% | 24.4% |
| Nominee | Preston Love Jr. (write-in) | Gene Siadek |
Who chooses the Electoral College?
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.