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Electoral College-2022-2023

Last updated about 3 years ago
19 questions
Electoral College Overview
From the Constitution: Article II, Section I:
  • Electors will determine the President and Vice President of the United States
Each state has a certain number of electors who cast votes in a Presidential election for that state.
  • As of October , 2012, there are 538 total electors.
  • To win the Presidency, a person must get 270 votes.
Senators + Representatives Electors Votes By State:
  • Every state has at least three electoral votes
  • California has the most with 55 votes
  • Currently seven states are tied with the lowest number, only having three votes
2010 Census:
  • Every ten years, the United States takes a census to determine the population of the United States.
  • The results of the census determines the number of representatives each state will have in the House of Representatives.
  • After the census is taken in 2010, the number of representatives, as well as the number of electors, changed for several states.
2

The electoral college was set up after the Constitution was created.

2

The number of electors that each state receives are the number of Senators (2) for that state and the number of House of Reps members that each state has. So, Virginia has 13 electoral college votes.

2

What happens every ten years and sometimes changes electoral college votes?

2

What state has the most electoral college votes?

Becoming An Elector
  • Any person who is old enough to vote, may become an elector. YOU can become an elector!
  • Electors do not get paid, they are regular people with regular jobs.
  • Electors are appointed by the state legislature.
  • Electors MUST be loyal.
  • Electors may not hold any other public office.
  • Electors do not cast secret ballots, their names appear on ballots underneath the name of the candidate they voted for.
The Voting Process
  • The general election is held in November (this is the election the general public votes in).
  • In November, after the general election has taken place, electors meet at their state capital to cast their votes.
  • Electors are allowed to vote for whoever they want.
  • Following the general election, a joint session of Congress meets to count the electoral votes and announce the winner of the election.
Amendments
  • The 12th Amendment, passed in 1804, stated that electors will cast one vote for President and one vote for Vice President.
  • The 23rd Amendment, passed in 1961, gave the District of Columbia three electoral votes.
2

Electors are chosen by the United States House of Representatives.

2

Electors can vote for whoever they want.

2

Who officially meets to count the electoral college votes and announce a winner?

2

Which amendment gave DC 3 electoral college votes?

Electoral College Political Cartoon
2

What is wrong with this map of the United States?

2

Why are only a few states visible on this map?

2

What is the artist saying about voters in the visible states?

2

What does this say about the voters in the invisible states?

2

Why is the artist making this statement about the election process?

How the Electoral College Works
2

What is meant by the term popular vote?

2

How many electoral votes are there in a presidential election? How many do you have to win to claim a majority?

2

If a candidate claims 80% of the popular vote in a state then how many electoral votes will he/she receive?

2

What happens if no candidate wins a majority of electoral votes?

Electoral College and The Framers of the Constitution
6

Summarize the 3 reasons why the founding fathers developed the electoral college.

2

What is suppose to happen in an ideal election?