Mr. Dowling
The Electoral College
How is the Electoral College used to determine the winner of the Presidential election?
"Whether it's by an inch or by a mile, winning is winning."
The Electoral College is used to determine the winner of a Presidential election.
The Presidential candidate that receives more than half of the electoral votes wins the election.
There are a total of 538 electoral votes. Therefore a Presidential candidate must receive 270 electoral votes to win the Presidency.
How is the number of electoral votes per state determined?
Number of Senators + Number of Representatives in the House = Electors
Example: New York- 2 Senators + 27 Representatives = 29 Electors
The electors vote for President and Vice President after the citizens vote.
If no candidate receives at least 270 electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses the President.
"Winner takes all" in each state.
|
Electors |
Bert |
Ernie |
Winner |
Electoral Votes Won |
| New York |
29 |
4,182,631 |
3,491,231 |
? |
? |
| Virginia |
13 |
1,782,212 |
1,782,213 |
? |
? |
| Georgia |
16 |
4,100,209 |
32 |
? |
? |
The Electoral College Project
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