Table of Contents
Why is there an electoral college for voting?
The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as an alternative to electing the president by popular vote or by Congress. Several weeks after the general election, electors from each state meet in their state capitals and cast their official vote for president and vice president.
What happens if you don’t get 270 electoral votes?
What happens if no presidential candidate gets 270 electoral votes? If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the Presidential election leaves the Electoral College process and moves to Congress. The Senate elects the Vice President from the 2 Vice Presidential candidates with the most electoral votes.
What is the difference between the primary and the Electoral College?
“The primary process and the Electoral College are two completely different things; they’re not at all connected,” says Ross. Primaries, caucuses, delegates, superdelegates and conventions are all about choosing a candidate and have nothing to do with the Electoral College.
What happens if no candidate receives the majority of electoral votes?
If no candidate receives the majority of electoral votes, the vote goes to the House of Representatives. House members choose the new president from among the top three candidates. The Senate elects the vice president from the remaining top two candidates. This has only happened once.
What happens when the Electoral College meets in December?
Electors then meet in their own states on a set day in December and vote by paper ballot. Results are sent to the vice president and other officials, and the Electoral College is dissolved (until next time). On Jan. 6, Congress meets and states’ electoral votes are counted.
How many electors does each state get?
The number of electors a state receives depends on its population. California, for example, has 55 electoral votes, while Alaska only has three. Accordingly, there are 538 electors, 535 congressional districts, and three representing the District of Colombia as outlined in the 23rd amendment.