The American system of presidential elections is singular primarily because of the existence of an Electoral College. This system, which tends to spur debate among the populace and confusion among the same, comprises two major logics: popular vote and electoral vote. This section shall try to discuss what the Electoral College is and how it works, and then present the main differences between popular vote and electoral vote.
Definition and purpose
The Electoral College is a body of electors established by the United States Constitution, in which the president and vice president of the United States are elected. It was devised as a compromise between election of the president in Congress and election of the president in a popular vote of qualified citizens.
Composition
In all, the Electoral College consists of 538 electors. Each state receives a determined number of these electors, equal to the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for every Representative in the House, plus two Senators. This means that the most populous states have the largest number of electoral votes; for example, California currently has 55 electoral votes, whereas Wyoming, the smallest state, has only 3.
How does the Electoral College work?
- Voter turnout: In the general election, the voters of each state choose a presidential candidate for whom they wish to vote. (Choosing the Candidate)
- Choice of electors: Technically, when voting, voters in every state indicate their preference for a slate of electors chosen by their party and pledged to support that party’s candidate.
- Winner-take-all: With the exception of Maine and Nebraska, the candidate that wins the most votes within a state receives all the electoral votes that that state has to offer.
- Electoral votes: The electors meet in their respective states in December and give their votes for president and vice president.
- Certification: These votes are sent to the Congress, where the joint session in January counts the votes.
- Outcome: For the candidate to win the presidency, he or she must get at least 270 votes out of 538 in the majority of electoral votes.
Historical context
The electoral college came into being to form part of the original design of the U.S. Constitution. The framers debating several methods of electing the president eventually settled on this system to provide a balance between the populous states against smaller states and as a hedge against direct election by uninformed or easily swayed voters.
Difference between popular vote and electoral vote
Popular vote
The popular vote is the total number or percentage of votes a candidate receives from the general public. If there were a direct popular vote, whoever received the most votes nationally would win the election.
Electoral vote
It follows the action of the Electoral College, whereby each state’s electoral votes go to the candidate receiving the majority popular vote in the state, with exceptions for Maine and Nebraska, which adopt a proportional approach.
Key differences
- Determining the winner: The popular vote is an aggregate of individual votes from throughout the nation. By contrast, the electoral vote is derived from the results of competitions taking place within each state.
- Imbalances: For example, a candidate can win the popular vote and yet not win the electoral vote and, thereby, the presidency. This has occurred five times, most recently in 2016 when Donald Trump won the Electoral College while Hillary Clinton received the most popular vote.
- Campaign strategies: Because of this reality, candidates often construct their campaigns on the basis of “swing states”-those in which the outcome is expected to be uncertain and where both candidates have a reasonable possibility of winning-rather than attempting to garner the greatest number of total votes.
Implications and criticisms
Strengths
Advocates for the Electoral College argue it:
- Provides a dispersal of attention throughout the country rather than entirely to populous urban areas.
- Strengthens the federal structure of the United States by making smaller states more relatively influential.
Criticisms
The most common criticisms heard regarding the system are that it:
- Can result in the election of a president who has not won the most popular votes, therefore tainting any claim to democratic legitimacy.
- Injures the voters in states with a strong majority for either party, because their votes count less in determining the overall winner.
Calls for reform
The debate on the Electoral College is still incredibly contentious, with some vouching for its abolition in favor of the national popular vote and others pressing for reforms such as the proportional allocation of electoral votes. The Guardian reported. Readers might also be interested in knowing, How does the US electoral system work, what is direct voting and what does it mean that the president is elected by indirect election?
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