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Last Updated August 5, 2008 |
The Electoral College is an often misunderstood part of the Presidential election process. However, its importance was underscored in the Presidential election of 2000, when Democratic nominee Al Gore won the popular vote, but George W. Bush won the Electoral College vote and ultimately the Presidency. What Is the Electoral College?When the Constitution was written, some politicians of the age felt that putting the power of electing the President and Vice President solely in the hands of the population could be dangerous. Yet they felt that it was important for the President and Vice President to be elected by vote, rather than appointed. The Electoral College was the compromise on which they settled. The Electoral College is a group of elected representatives from each state who cast the official votes for President. The number of College members that each state is allowed depends on the population of the state. On a designated voting day, which is always the Monday following the second Wednesday of December, the Electoral College members from each state meet at their state's Capitol to cast their votes for President. Of 538 available Electoral College votes, a minimum of 270 are required to elect a President or Vice President. |
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