Question

Executive Branch: Electoral College & Executive Order US HISTORY

OPENER: What do you know about the electoral college? Brainstorm everything and anything you can remember about it, as well as what questions you have about it. White, draw, rap, poem, do something!
What is the Electoral College?
During a presidential election, you are
The Electoral College
who will
decided in the
Why Do We Have the Electoral College?
►The electoral in your state is equal to the
(# of representatives in
the
and
How Does the President Win?
►The candidate with the
in a
state wins all of that state's'
_votes.
A majority
of the votes in the Electoral
College must be won for the candidate to be elected President.
If no candidate receives a majority, the election is with each state having one vote.
If we had
for presidents. ► Presidents would just spend all their
and
in states with
Click here for an interactive map of the electoral college
The Electoral College:
Ensures that citizens of small states are not
by the citizens in a large states
For example: Wyoming has a population of 584,153 and 3 electoral votes, which means each elector represents 194,717 voters. California has a population of 38,800,000 with 55 electoral votes so each elector represents 705,454 voters. So each vote in Wyoming is worth 3.6 times more than each vote in California.
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
How does the electoral college work?
Why is the electoral college controversial?

Answer 1

The Electoral College is a system used in the United States to elect the President and Vice President. During a presidential election, voters in each state cast their vote for a candidate, but the candidate who wins the popular vote may not necessarily win the election. Instead, the candidate who wins the majority of electoral votes (270 out of 538) becomes the President.

The number of electoral votes each state has is based on their representation in Congress, with each state getting one electoral vote for each member of Congress they have (House of Representatives + Senate). This means that smaller states have a proportionally larger impact on the election than larger states.

The President wins by receiving a majority of the electoral votes. If no candidate receives a majority, the election is decided by the House of Representatives with each state having one vote. This means that a candidate can win the popular vote but still lose the election if they don't win enough electoral votes.

The Electoral College is controversial because some people believe it is undemocratic and that it can lead to situations where the candidate who wins the popular vote does not become President. Others argue that it protects smaller states from being ignored in the election and ensures that candidates have a broad base of support across the country.