Most Unwired College


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Most Unwired College

Most Unwired College

The Electoral College dates back to the beginning of the formation of the United States. With the writing of the Constitution, the Founding Fathers set up a way to allow both the population and Congress to vote for the President of the United States. Because of their history with England, King George, and taxation without representation, it was incredibly important for the newly forming nation to be able to vote for their own leader. At the same time, the Founding Fathers feared what might happen if a largely uneducated populace had the final say with their votes. The effective compromise was the Electoral College.

How the Electoral College Works

Each state chooses a slate of electors equivalent to the number of members the state has in Congress. These electors are the people who actually cast the vote for the President and Vice-President of the United States of America and subsequently make up the Electoral College. In each presidential race, the candidates must receive a majority of the electoral votes (270) in order to win the presidential election (regardless of popular vote).

Usually the electoral majority corresponds to popular vote majority; however, occasionally it does not (most recently in the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore). Whenever the candidates do not receive a majority of electoral votes, the presidential race is then given to the House of Representatives for them to choose among the top three candidates.

The Original Intent of the Electoral College

When the Constitution was first framed and the country was just beginning to thrive, the Framers feared that the population of the United States would not be educated enough to vote responsibly for the president. Thus, in accordance with those thoughts, they devised a system to ensure responsible voting, the Electoral College. The Constitution states that throughout the United States the Electoral College must meet on the same day. They would then cast votes for President and Vice-President (though before the 12th amendment they would only cast votes for the President). The people, of course, would vote, but their votes would largely be discounted because of the unreliability of public opinion.