Understanding the Electoral College System
A Complex System to Preserve Democracy
By Maria Alejandra Pulgar
The basic definition of Democracy is “the government decided by the people.” Now, the methods used by “the people” to choose their leaders are a whole different story.
In America, the elections system established in the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and ratified with the 12th Amendment in 1804 was structured in several stages and distributed among the states to ensure that the voice of every citizen is always heard and that leaders and representatives are elected fairly. The Founding Fathers were brilliant.
There are State and Local elections, governed by state laws. And Federal elections: Primary, Congressional every two years, and the most important, every four years, the Presidential Elections.
The figure of the Electoral College, crucial for the election of the President and Vice President, can sometimes be confusing even for those very citizens who are going to decide. However, it was created as the perfect solution to ensure that every state in the nation had the same level of influence in the decision regardless of its population and size; it was “a compromise between those who wanted popular election and those who wanted election by Congress”.
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is defined in the Constitution as “a body of electors who cast votes to choose the President and Vice President of the United States”. The number of electors in each state is equal to its number of representatives in Congress and depends on the population of the state. Each state and party have their own process to select their delegates for the Electoral College, which is a duty of high honor and responsibility.
The total Electoral College delegates is 538; depending on the laws of each state, delegates should cast their votes for the candidate who won the popular vote in the state. It is done “the first Tuesday after the second Wednesday in December” of the election year. Electors meet in their state to cast their ballot, following the popular vote of their district. The Certificate of Vote with the definite result of each state is sent to Congress where they are counted on January 6th, in a joint session. There, the candidate who wins a majority of the electoral votes, 270 or more, is announced as winner to be inaugurated as President the next January 20th.
The State of Florida has 30 Electoral College delegates, or Electors. Currently, the states who have the most Electors are California, New York, Florida and Texas. So called “battleground states” are not those with more electoral votes but those “where the two major political parties have similar levels of support among voters”, enough to determine the result of the presidential election in the state.
Why is Electoral College still relevant?
At the time of the development of the Constitution, the creation of the Electoral College allowed the Founding Fathers to solve the logistic issue of casting and counting votes in the whole country, with the communication limitations of the 18th century, as well as to balance the interest and influence of the states regardless of their population, ensuring that smaller states still had a voice in the selection of the President. In addition, they delegated in each state the task of handling the process of the popular vote.
At the time, there was also concern that allowing direct democracy through popular vote, would lead to “the election of demagogues or candidates who might not have the best interest of the nation at heart”. The state delegates to the Electoral College then became the informed electors who would make the final decision for the greater good of the whole country.
How can a system created more than 200 years ago still be in use in the more powerful country in the world? Because it has worked and still does, to reinforce the federal structure of the United States; it contributes to the political stability of the country and ensures that the interests of the rural and less populated areas are taken into consideration as well as the most populous cities and states. The Electoral College is an integral part that makes strong the American Electoral system.
This November 5th is General Election Day. The voting process began already, as many mail-in ballots started to be distributed to domestic voters on September 26th. Last day to register to vote is October 7th, and early voting begins October 26th. The right to decide is sacred for US citizens. Make sure to cast your ballot and let your voice be heard.
Sources: https://www.usa.gov/electoral-college https://www.britannica.com/topic/electoral-college https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-2/section-1/