The Electoral CollegeDoes it work properly or should we fix it?

Some wanted Congress to elect the POTUSSome wanted direct election of the POTUS

Problems…◦ Inordinate weight to large states◦ Popularity contest◦ Illiterate population◦ Poor communication

The Founders on presidential election

The Electoral College was introduced by Alexander Hamilton as a compromise

between having Congress choose the POTUS and

direct election by popular vote of the electorate.

Compromise: The Electoral College

Contrary to popular belief… the rendering of the College IS generally consistent with the popular voter (even if the winner of the

popular vote loses the election).

Compromise: The Electoral College

538 members (435 H of R + 100 Senators + 3 for D.C.)

# of state’s reps + 2 senators= state’s electoral votes

The number of each state’s electoral vote can change every decade based on census results.

Favors smaller states because everyone regardless of how small gets at least 3 electors.

23rd amendment allowed D.C. residents to vote in POTUS elections

The Electoral College: Formula

The Electoral College: Membership

Virginia’s 2008 Electors

Christia V. Rey of Williamsburg Sandra W. Brandt of Virginia BeachBetty L. Squire of RichmondSusan Johnston Rowland of ChesapeakeMarc L. Finney of LawrencevilleDorothy S. Blackwell of LexingtonJames Harold Allen Boyd of CulpeperMarian A. Van Landingham of AlexandriaRobert Edgar Childress, Jr. of RosedaleRolland D. Winter of LeesburgJanet A. Carver of SpringfieldMichael Jon Khandelwal of NorfolkSophie Ann Salley of Richmond

Members are generally nominated at state conventions.

Election day is ALWAYS the first Tuesday, following the first Monday in November.

We actually vote for a slate of electors and not the actual presidential candidate

The slate of electors for the presidential ticket that gets the most votes is appointed

The Electoral College: Election Day

The electors meet on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December.

Electors vote by ballot, on for POTUS & one for VP.

No federal laws requiring electors to vote according to their state’s popular votes, but some state laws do (Virginia’s does not).

The Electoral College: What do they do?

Electoral votes are sealed and sent to the President of the Senate.

Votes are tallied at a joint session of Congress held in the House of Representatives.

A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect a POTUS.

If there’s a tie, the House of Representatives decides.

The Electoral College: Then what?

Because electoral votes aren’t distributed in exact proportion to the population, winner of popular vote may not win electoral vote.

Electors not bound by the Constitution or any federal law to vote for the candidate favored by their state aka “faithless electors”

Elections may be thrown to the House of Reps where voting is state by state.

The Electoral College: Defects

District Plan: each candidate would get one electoral vote for

each congressional district the he/she wins in state’s overall popular vote winner would get two

bonus votes (one for each senator of that state) Wouldn’t require a constitutional amendment

because Constitution lets states choose how they select their electors.

Nebraska and Maine use this system

The Electoral College: Proposed Reform

Proportional Plan: Give each candidate the share of the electoral vote

that he/she earned in the popular vote.

Direct Popular Election: Abolish the Electoral College Each citizen’s vote counts equally toward the

presidential election

The Electoral College: Proposed Reform