Voting in the Presidential Election

Every four years, millions of Americans flock to the polls to vote for the candidate they’d like to see serve as the nation’s commander-in-chief. But did you know that when you go to cast your vote, you are not voting directly for your presidential candidate of choice? You are actually casting a vote for a slate of presidential electors that have been appointed by each of the political parties in your state. These electors pledge to vote for their party’s candidate if elected.

About a month after the November 8 General Election, these electors convene at state capitols to cast votes for the presidential and vice-presidential candidates. To get a better understanding, let’s dive a little deeper into how this system- called the electoral college- works. The number of electors that a state receives depends on the size of that state’s congressional delegation (how many senators and House members it has). Thus larger, more populous states like California, receive more electors than smaller states like North Dakota. Because all the states have two senators and at least one House member, every state has at least three electors. The United States has a total of 538 electors, with this figure deriving from 100 senators, 435 House members, and three representatives from District of Columbia. To win the presidential election, a candidate must receive at least 270 of the 538 available electoral votes. A candidate can't achieve that number by simply receiving votes from one part or side of the country.

Most states utilize a winner takes all system to determine which candidates receive their electoral votes. This means that the candidate who wins the popular vote in your state will receive all of the state’s electoral votes. If a candidate hopes to order to win the electoral college, it matters not simply how many states they receive the popular vote in, but also which states (because some states have more electors than others). It also means that a candidate can win the Presidency without having won the national popular vote (the most votes directly from the people), as seen in the 2016 Presidential Election.

Post below with your thoughts on the role electoral college. Is it an outdated system or do you still believe it a necessary tool in preventing what the framers called "tyranny of the majority?"

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Graphic depicting the difference in the number of electors by state.