Politics 101 To be well-rounded, being able to discuss a little politics is crucial. Politics 101 will be a permanent part of Leslie Blake, discussing American governments in general and keeping you informed on current issues.
How the President is Elected Ever wondered why after November elections our next president is called the “President-elect?” No, it’s not because he is waiting to be sworn in, although he does have to be to be president, it’s because the Electoral College hasn’t voted yet and they’re the ones that pick the president. In fact, it’s a whole month later “on the Monday following the second Wednesday in December” that the electors of each state meet to officially cast their vote for president and vice president. Is the Winner of the Presidential Election the person with the Most Votes? No. Presidents in the United States are not elected by popular vote. In other words, a candidate for president can have more votes than his opponent, yet he won’t be president. That’s because in ours system of government, presidents are chosen by the electors of the Electoral College. Whoever gets the most electoral votes wins the election. This is called an “indirect election” as opposed to a “direct election.”
Who Decided to Elect a President in the Manner? The mechanism for choosing a president was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution and can be found in Article II, Section 1. It took a couple of tries for them to decide exactly how it should be done. The framers believed a purely popular election was too reckless and thought better than giving Congress the power to choose the president, so the compromise was to allow the public to vote for an elector in their state and in return the elector would cast the vote of the people of the state for president. Who are the Electors? The elector can be anyone according to the Constitution except that “no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.” How are Electors Chosen? Each state decides in what manner an elector is selected. Usually electors are nominated by the political party in each state, put on the
ballot and then the voters choose the elector on Election Day. The winning electors are determined by the candidate who won the election. Accordingly, if the Republican Party wins the election, republican electors are elected and vice versa. It is best to check with each state to find out how an elector is chosen in that state. The Constitution also determines how many electors each state is entitled to have. Since 1964 there have been 538 electors. To win the presidency a candidate must have 270 electoral votes (one more than half of all votes). Do Electors have to Vote for the Candidate that Won the Popular Vote? There is no federal law that mandates that electors must vote for the candidate that won the popular vote, however, some (not all) states have mandated that they do. It is rare for an elector to vote against the popular vote, but it has happened. By Luke Mahoney
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