The Presidential Election Process

Total available votes = 538 435 + 100 + 3 = 538 Electors are determined by the

number of Representatives, plus the number of Senators

Minimum number a state

can have is 3 Representation is based on

population, therefore, electors are based on population.

Logistics of the Electoral College

Where are these 3 electoral

votes from?

Remember – 270

More on the Electoral College

It’s a WINNER-TAKE-ALL– If you get the majority of the

popular vote then you get all of the ELECTORAL VOTES for that state.

Remember it takes 270 electoral votes to win

Choosing Electors

Electors are chosen on the same day in every state: the Tuesday after the first Monday in November…what’s significant about this date?

When voters go to the poles in November, they are voting for an elector NOT the President. (November 4, 2008)

Ideally, this elector will vote for their choice in January…NOT a requirement

Electoral College Breakdown

If you were running

which states would you focus on?

Why?

Counting the Electoral Votes

These electors are chosen by votersThese electors then report to the state

capital to cast their 2 votesWhen? – Monday after the second

Wednesday in December

Who are the 2 ballots for?

> This is basically a formality – we actually know the night of the election who

won the election

Counting the Electoral Votes

The electoral ballots are sent to the President of the Senate

On January 6th they are tallied with a Joint Session of Congress

And the winner is “formally” announced

CHECKPOINTHow many electoral college votes

does Georgia have?How do they determine the number

of electoral votes that a state has?How many electoral votes do you

need to win the Presidential Election?

The “What Ifs” of the Electoral College

What if no one get 270?– Election goes to the House of Representatives (1800 & 1824)– Each State gets one vote – 26 to win it

What if the House vote has not been decided by Jan 20th?– Vice President will preside until the President is determined

What if the no one received 270 for Vice Presidency?– Senate will determine the VP and then they will preside until

the President is determined

Popular-Vote vs. Electoral College Vote

This happened in 2000

Red or Blue…Who should be elected?

Flaws in the Electoral College System

1) Winner of the popular vote may not win the electoral college vote

> This has happened 4 times

2) Electors are not required to vote for “their” candidate

> “Faithless electors” on 9 occasions

3) Election might be decided by the House

> This has happened twice

> Look out for a 3rd party candidate to take a chunk

Proposed ChangesDistrict Plan –

> Each district within a state would cast their “own” electoral vote

Proportional Plan – > Percentage of electoral votes for the state based on percentage of popular vote from that state

Direct Plan –

> Popular vote winner, wins the office

National Bonus Plan –

> 102 electoral votes would be awarded automatically to the winner of the popular vote. These votes would be combined with the other electoral votes that the candidate won.

Strengths of the Electoral College

It’s a “known” systemIn most cases it identifies a

winner quickly and certainlyMost of the reforms would

have “loop-holes” too

2004 Presidential Election by State

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/

Republican

Democrat

2004 - Election Results by County

Election of 2000 (Florida)

One last thing…A timeline to sum it up

Electoral votes are counted

Decision to run – meets 3

qualifications

Electors cast votes, mail

to D.C.

Primaries, Caucus, State Conventions Election

Debate & Campaign

National Conventions

Inauguration

The Executive Branch IIPresidential Succession &

The Vice President

Presidential Succession

Original Wording– “power and duties” of the office (not the

actual office were to go to the Vice Pres.)25th Amendment

– In case of removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become president.

Presidential Succession

Before the 25th Amendment (in 1967) the Vice President took over anyway.– John Tyler set this precedent when

W.H. Harrison died after being in office only one month.

So what if something happens to the Vice President too????

25th

18 positions are outlined• Vice President• Speaker of the House• Pro Tempore of the

Senate• Sec. of State• Sec. of Treasury• Sec. of Defense• Attorney General• Sec. of Interior• Sec. of Agriculture

• Sec. of Commerce• Sec. of Labor• Sec. of Health and

Human Services• Sec. of HUD• Sec. of Transportation• Sec. of Energy• Sec. of Education• Sec. of Veterans Affairs• Sec. of Homeland

Security

Presidential Succession Act of 1947

We’ve got it covered…

(Know these for the Quiz)

The Vice President Dick Cheney Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi President pro tempore of the Senate

Robert Byrd Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Presidential Disability

What if the President is only disabled – like if he has a heart attack or something…

25th Amendment also details this predicament The VP is to become President if…

– The President informs Congress in writing that he is unable to serve

– The VP and the Cabinet inform congress that the President is unable to serve

The President can resume duties when / if able

Used twice – Reagan & Bush

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Checkpoint

List the next 4 persons to assume the Presidency, if the President is unable to serve…

The Vice President

John Adams: I am the Vice President. In this I am nothing, but I may be everything.”

9 VPs have taken over in the middle of a Term– 8 for deaths– 1 for resignation

Did you know…The President can’t remove the VP from office.

Introduction: The Electoral College

One of the least understood parts of our government, yet it is one of the most important…

2004 Election By state, with changes made for population

Electoral Votes Recap

538

435

3100

2004 Election (Wave = visit) ($ = money)

Focus on Swing States – by-products of the winner-take-all format

Exceptions to the winner-take-all…

Maine and Nebraska– 2 electors (at-large) go with the popular vote

winner– All of the other votes are divided among the

Congressional Districts– That is…If Cherokee’s 6th District (Tom Price,

Roswell) voted for Candidate A, Candidate A would get “our” electoral vote, regardless of what the rest of the state voted.