Many feel that the Electoral Collage is one of the most controversial parts of the American Constitution! It has been a problem in the elections of 1876, 1888, and 2000 where Presidents lost the popular vote but won the presidency by the Electoral College. It is said that the Electoral College has created what we now call "swing states." In effect with some states with few Electoral College votes get little attention during the campaigns.
The Electoral Collage represents the great philosophy of the founding fathers and their intent with the American Constitution. If you remember in school the teachers like me talking about the concern for "Checks and Balances." It gives what one might say compromise or interests! But one must look at the onset of a new nation the colonists had little opportunity to vote for their leaders as they were appointed by the crown. In eight of the thirteen colonies at the time of the Constitution the legislature appointed governors! Many felt that the country was too large to elect a president and in the south 2/3 of a person counting slaves presented a problem. states did not want to be outdone by bigger states. This produced also the equal number of senators from each state.
The Congressional idea of selecting a President opened the appointment for conflicts of interest and limiting the Presidency! The electoral College became an alternate of the Congress. The idea to prevent conflict is again a question in election of 2012 being so close! It will present again a river of complaints!
Lets look at the Electoral College so their are less questions on Nov. 6th. The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution. It was a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of "qualified citizens." (men) The Electoral College consists of five hundred and thirty eight electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. each states entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for your Senators. (Under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution, the District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors and treated like a state) Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidate’s political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are.. The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You choose your state’s electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidate’s electors. Most states are winner take all with the exception of Maine and Nebraska each have a variation of “proportional representation.” Following the election each governor prepares a “Certificate of Ascertainment” listing all of the candidates who ran for President in your state along with the names of their respective electors. The Certificate of Ascertainment also declares the winning presidential candidate in your state and shows which electors will represent your state at the meeting of the electors in December of the election year. Your state’s Certificates of Ascertainment's are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. This meeting of the electors takes place on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in Dec. after the presidential election. The electors meet in their respective states, where they cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. Your state’s electors’ votes are recorded on a “Certificate of Vote,” which is prepared at the meeting by the electors. Your state’s Certificates of Votes are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. Each state’s electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors. Members of the House and Senate meet in the House chamber to conduct the official tally of electoral votes. The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States. Then the President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election.
See also:
Romney-Biden May Be Winning Ticket in Unlikely Voting Tie www.bloomberg.com On Jan. 20, Mitt Romney takes the presidential oath of office. Standing close by is his new vice president, Joe Biden.
The Electoral Collage represents the great philosophy of the founding fathers and their intent with the American Constitution. If you remember in school the teachers like me talking about the concern for "Checks and Balances." It gives what one might say compromise or interests! But one must look at the onset of a new nation the colonists had little opportunity to vote for their leaders as they were appointed by the crown. In eight of the thirteen colonies at the time of the Constitution the legislature appointed governors! Many felt that the country was too large to elect a president and in the south 2/3 of a person counting slaves presented a problem. states did not want to be outdone by bigger states. This produced also the equal number of senators from each state.
The Congressional idea of selecting a President opened the appointment for conflicts of interest and limiting the Presidency! The electoral College became an alternate of the Congress. The idea to prevent conflict is again a question in election of 2012 being so close! It will present again a river of complaints!
Lets look at the Electoral College so their are less questions on Nov. 6th. The Electoral College is a process, not a place. The founding fathers established it in the Constitution. It was a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress and election of the President by a popular vote of "qualified citizens." (men) The Electoral College consists of five hundred and thirty eight electors. A majority of 270 electoral votes is required to elect the President. each states entitled allotment of electors equals the number of members in its Congressional delegation: one for each member in the House of Representatives plus two for your Senators. (Under the 23rd Amendment of the Constitution, the District of Columbia is allocated 3 electors and treated like a state) Each candidate running for President in your state has his or her own group of electors. The electors are generally chosen by the candidate’s political party, but state laws vary on how the electors are selected and what their responsibilities are.. The presidential election is held every four years on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. You choose your state’s electors when you vote for President because when you vote for your candidate you are actually voting for your candidate’s electors. Most states are winner take all with the exception of Maine and Nebraska each have a variation of “proportional representation.” Following the election each governor prepares a “Certificate of Ascertainment” listing all of the candidates who ran for President in your state along with the names of their respective electors. The Certificate of Ascertainment also declares the winning presidential candidate in your state and shows which electors will represent your state at the meeting of the electors in December of the election year. Your state’s Certificates of Ascertainment's are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. This meeting of the electors takes place on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in Dec. after the presidential election. The electors meet in their respective states, where they cast their votes for President and Vice President on separate ballots. Your state’s electors’ votes are recorded on a “Certificate of Vote,” which is prepared at the meeting by the electors. Your state’s Certificates of Votes are sent to the Congress and the National Archives as part of the official records of the presidential election. Each state’s electoral votes are counted in a joint session of Congress on the 6th of January in the year following the meeting of the electors. Members of the House and Senate meet in the House chamber to conduct the official tally of electoral votes. The Vice President, as President of the Senate, presides over the count and announces the results of the vote. The President of the Senate then declares which persons, if any, have been elected President and Vice President of the United States. Then the President-Elect takes the oath of office and is sworn in as President of the United States on January 20th in the year following the Presidential election.
See also:
Romney-Biden May Be Winning Ticket in Unlikely Voting Tie www.bloomberg.com On Jan. 20, Mitt Romney takes the presidential oath of office. Standing close by is his new vice president, Joe Biden.
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