Electoral CollegeElectoral College

Random TriviaRandom Trivia

Who was the first to use a campaign Who was the first to use a campaign photo of himself shirtless?photo of himself shirtless?

JFKJFK Who was the only one who could Who was the only one who could

write with both hands at the same write with both hands at the same time?time?

James Garfield- he could write James Garfield- he could write Greek with one hand and Latin Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.with the other.

Electoral CollegeElectoral College

group of persons group of persons chosen in each chosen in each State and the State and the District of District of Columbia every Columbia every four years who four years who make a formal make a formal selection of the selection of the President and President and Vice PresidentVice President

there is an there is an electoral college electoral college for each for each candidate on the candidate on the ballotballot

One elector for One elector for each senator and each senator and representativerepresentative

Framers expected the Electors to Framers expected the Electors to use their own judgment in use their own judgment in selecting the presidentselecting the president

now Electors vote for their partynow Electors vote for their party felt the average citizens were felt the average citizens were

not enlightened enough to select not enlightened enough to select the president- educated, the president- educated, informedinformed

Electoral CollegeElectoral College

Who are the electors?Who are the electors?

electors cannot be members of electors cannot be members of Congress or employed by the Congress or employed by the Federal GovernmentFederal Government

chosen by political partieschosen by political parties Currently in Arizona we have 11 Currently in Arizona we have 11

Electors (2 senators and 9 Electors (2 senators and 9 representatives)representatives)

The 23The 23rdrd Amendment (1961) gave Amendment (1961) gave the District of Columbia electoral the District of Columbia electoral college votescollege votes• the same number of electors as the the same number of electors as the

least populous Stateleast populous State• Washington DC has 3 electoral Washington DC has 3 electoral

college votescollege votes

Electoral CollegeElectoral College

How it works step oneHow it works step one electors are chosen in every electors are chosen in every

state on election daystate on election day•you do not actually vote for you do not actually vote for

president, you vote for electorspresident, you vote for electors• the the candidate that wins the candidate that wins the

popular votepopular vote in the state wins in the state wins the electoral college votethe electoral college vote

step twostep two electors, from winning party, electors, from winning party,

meet at state capital on the meet at state capital on the Monday after the second Monday after the second Wednesday in DecemberWednesday in December

formally cast their vote, sign, formally cast their vote, sign, seal and send to Washington DCseal and send to Washington DC• one for Presidentone for President• one for Vice Presidentone for Vice President

step threestep three The votes are officially counted The votes are officially counted

on January 6on January 6thth before a joint before a joint session of Congresssession of Congress

President of the Senate opens President of the Senate opens and reads each voteand reads each vote

The candidate that receives at The candidate that receives at

least least 270270 out of out of 538 538 electoral electoral college votes winscollege votes wins

Random TriviaRandom Trivia Who had a middle initial but no Who had a middle initial but no

middle name?middle name?•Harry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman

Who was the first to ride in an Who was the first to ride in an automobile?automobile?

•T. RooseveltT. Roosevelt

First Major DefectFirst Major Defect

The candidate that wins the The candidate that wins the popular vote does not always popular vote does not always win the Electoral College vote win the Electoral College vote

2000 election 2000 election • Gore 49,357,039 (49%)Gore 49,357,039 (49%)• Bush 47,152,250 (48%)Bush 47,152,250 (48%)• Gore 267 electoral college votesGore 267 electoral college votes• Bush 271 electoral college votesBush 271 electoral college votes

Second Major DefectSecond Major Defect

members of the Electoral College members of the Electoral College are not required to vote with the are not required to vote with the popular votepopular vote

They are expected to as loyal They are expected to as loyal members of their partymembers of their party

““faithless elector” has never had faithless elector” has never had a bearing on the electiona bearing on the election

Third Major DefectThird Major Defect

if a candidate does not receive a if a candidate does not receive a majority of the electoral college majority of the electoral college votes then the election goes to votes then the election goes to the House of Representativesthe House of Representatives

each state has one vote at this each state has one vote at this time (regardless of whether they time (regardless of whether they have 1 or 52 representatives)have 1 or 52 representatives)

There have been There have been suggestions about suggestions about

CHANGING the electoral CHANGING the electoral College .College .

Lets take a look at some of Lets take a look at some of the proposals.the proposals.

District PlanDistrict Plan electors would be chosen in each electors would be chosen in each

state the same way as members state the same way as members of Congressof Congress• two chosen at large and would cast two chosen at large and would cast

vote along with popular votevote along with popular vote• other electors would be chosen other electors would be chosen

from each congressional district from each congressional district and would vote with the popular and would vote with the popular vote from that districtvote from that district

Proportional PlanProportional Plan

each presidential candidate each presidential candidate would receive the same share of would receive the same share of a state’s electoral votes as he or a state’s electoral votes as he or she received in the state’s she received in the state’s popular votepopular vote• Arizona = 11 votesArizona = 11 votes

50% to candidate 1 = 5 votes50% to candidate 1 = 5 votes 50% to candidate 2 = 6 votes50% to candidate 2 = 6 votes

Direct Popular ElectionDirect Popular Election

do away with the electoral do away with the electoral college college

candidate that wins the popular candidate that wins the popular vote in the country would win vote in the country would win the electionthe election