how do we really elect the president?

How do we REALLY elect the President?

1) Popular Vote

2) House Selects

3) Electoral College

4) All of the above

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How many Electoral Votes does one need to be president?

1) 100

2) 270

3) 435

4) Depends…..

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How many EV’s is Ohio worth?

1) None

2) 18

3) 20

4) Depends….

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Which states are MOST important?

1) California/Texas

2) Texas/NY

3) California/Florida

4) All states are equally important

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How does each state get it’s total EC worth?

1) Population

2) House + Senate

3) Population + 3

4) Each state is equal

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Electoral College Members MUST vote for who the people vote for in a

state

1) 2) 3)

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1) True

2) False

3) It Depends…

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The Electoral College System we use is in the Constitution

1) 2)

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2) False

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The Electoral College could end in a tie

1) 2)

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1) True

2) False

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In a tie, how do we get a new president?

1) Have a run off election

2) House picks President

3) Senate picks President

4) Supreme Court picks President

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Which President was determined by the EC and not

the people?1) G. W. Bush

2) Rutherford. B. Hayes

3) Benjamin Harrison

4) J.Q. Adams

5) All of these

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Which amendment changed the way we vote for prez and VP?

1)10th

2)12th

3)14th

4)16th

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Article II Section 1

• Each State shall appoint…..a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress

The Founding Fathers wanted a

compromise between the people and

government choosing a leader

On election day, we are actually

voting on ELECTORS!

(chosen by the party)

“Monday after the second

Wednesday in December”

Electors meet in their home state:

January 6th

The Senate counts the votes,

its official!

January 20th

Inauguration Day!

# of U.S. House Representatives

+

# of U.S. Senators =# of ELECTOTRAL

VOTES

Popular vote winner gets all the electoral votes!!

(Except ME / NE)

The “Magic Number” today is 270 of 538 total Electoral

Votes

Let’s Look at some real results

http://www.270towin.com/

Individual State values can change every ten years

(2010 census; 2012 changes)

How would the goal number of 270 change?

Ohio Electoral Voters MUST vote for their

perspective candidate

If no candidate receives 270, top three are sent to the H. of R. and

they choose!

Tie?

12th Amendment

•Placed the President and VP on the same

ticket

Arguments against the College

• The Popular Vote winner is not guaranteed the presidency

• 1824 House elected J.Q. Adams

• 1876, 1888,(Harrison) 2000

• “Majority vs. Plurality” (15 times)

Arguments against the College

• Electors do not always have to vote for who the public directs (only 11 Times, but no effect on the outcomes)

Arguments against the College

• Any election could go to the House of Reps.

• Only happened twice, 1800 Jefferson and 1824 J.Q. Adams

Proposed changes to this process:

• No other topic in American History has been the subject of a

proposed Constitutional Amendment than this!

Other Plans?• The District Plan• Eliminates “Winner Take All”• Popular Vote loser could still win• The Proportional Plan• % of vote = % of EV• Popular Vote loser could still win• Hurt 2 Party system?

• National Bonus Plan

• 102 Bonus EV to the popular winner

• Changes magic number to 321

• Actual electors done away with

• Not a lot of interest in this plan

What would be simplest?

• Just do away with the EC!

• Why not do it?

• Constitutional Amendment Process

• Small States

• Voter Fraud

Just Keep the Electoral College

• Known Process

• Identifies Winner Quickly

• My take…it’ll stay forever