Electoral College

[TNHarley]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

 

[SniperFire]

The framers set it up because they knew the populous was too stupid to pick their own leaders.

Smart people, those framers.

 

[Charles_Main]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

The National Popular Vote does not really count. The EC is decided by the Individual States Popular Votes. The Number of Votes a state has is based on Population.

With out the EC, all a candidate would have to do is concentrate on the Most Populated areas of the country, and ignore the rest of us.

 

[Charles_Main]

The framers set it up because they knew the populous was too stupid to pick their own leaders.

Smart people, those framers.

That would make sense if not for the Fact that the People do decided under the EC. Who wins the EC is determined by the Popular vote in each state.

 

[TNHarley]

So whichever candidate has the most votes, thats the way the EC swings?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Each State has the electoral votes based on 2 senators and x number of Representatives. So there are 538 electoral votes. ( well that may be wrong, in 61 DC got an electoral vote) All but 2 states give all their electoral votes to the Party that takes the state in popular vote. 2 States allocate them by percentage of vote.

To be elected President one must amass 270 electoral votes failing that the New Congress picks who won. The House picks the President, each State group has one vote. The Senate picks the Vice President.

 

[g5000]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

We have the electoral college because we have a federal government, not a national one.

Without the electoral college, heavily urbanized areas would control the election, and small states would always be steamrolled.

The reason the electoral college has grown less popular is precisely because we have moved ever so incrementally toward a national government. This is not a good thing.

Think of the electoral college system as similar to the World Series. A team can theoretically score the most points but still lose the series. This has happened, but rarely. It also happens once in a great while that a candidate wins the popular vote but loses the electoral vote.

.

 

[g5000]

The framers set it up because they knew the populous was too stupid to pick their own leaders.

Smart people, those framers.

That would make sense if not for the Fact that the People do decided under the EC. Who wins the EC is determined by the Popular vote in each state.

Most states allocate 100 percent of their electoral votes to the candidate who wins the most votes. Other states, though, split up their electoral votes and give each candidate a percentage equal to the percentage of votes they received in that state, thus undermining the electoral college's purpose.

.

 

[there4eyeM]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

It is a ridiculous relic of a bygone era. Over two hundred years ago, communication and travel were dangerous and slow. In order to preserve a fragile democracy, it was seen fit to put in place the possibility to adapt to a change of decision regarding the president; i.e., in case the candidate died or was incapacitated for example.

It has no place in modern times.

 

[TNHarley]

I see. And to think, I was thinking we should get rid of the EC and make every state a battleground.

 

[there4eyeM]

Each State has the electoral votes based on 2 senators and x number of Representatives. So there are 538 electoral votes. ( well that may be wrong, in 61 DC got an electoral vote) All but 2 states give all their electoral votes to the Party that takes the state in popular vote. 2 States allocate them by percentage of vote.

To be elected President one must amass 270 electoral votes failing that the New Congress picks who won. The House picks the President, each State group has one vote. The Senate picks the Vice President.

270 is necessary in the present dictatorship of two parties. If there were more, the number would be lower.

 

[SniperFire]

The framers set it up because they knew the populous was too stupid to pick their own leaders.

Smart people, those framers.

That would make sense if not for the Fact that the People do decided under the EC. Who wins the EC is determined by the Popular vote in each state.

Except, voting as such is not mandatory. Framers wanted emergency flexibility for an educated electoral college against mob rule. But the Big State v. Small State idea was also another reason for the EC.

Faithless elector - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Bigfoot]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

We have the electoral college because we have a federal government, not a national one.

Without the electoral college, heavily urbanized areas would control the election, and small states would always be steamrolled.

The reason the electoral college has grown less popular is precisely because we have moved ever so incrementally toward a national government. This is not a good thing.

Think of the electoral college system as similar to the World Series. A team can theoretically score the most points but still lose the series. This has happened, but rarely. It also happens once in a great while that a candidate wins the popular vote but loses the electoral vote.

.

Nobody scores points in baseball.

 

[tjvh]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

It means thankfully, that Chicago, New York and L.A. do not get to pick who becomes the President on their own.

 

[Charles_Main]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

It means thankfully, that Chicago, New York and L.A. do not get to pick who becomes the President on their own.

Exactly, and Considering Large Cities are Democrat, you can see why so many Dems don't like the EC.

Now, In the event Romney wins the Popular vote, and Obama the EC, all of the sudden those same Dems will say how great the EC is.

 

[tjvh]

I see. And to think, I was thinking we should get rid of the EC and make every state a battleground.

The only battlegrounds would be people campaigning in urban population centers... Sorry, I cannot trust NYC to decide who my President will be on every election cycle were popular vote be allowed to decide.

 

[g5000]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

We have the electoral college because we have a federal government, not a national one.

Without the electoral college, heavily urbanized areas would control the election, and small states would always be steamrolled.

The reason the electoral college has grown less popular is precisely because we have moved ever so incrementally toward a national government. This is not a good thing.

Think of the electoral college system as similar to the World Series. A team can theoretically score the most points but still lose the series. This has happened, but rarely. It also happens once in a great while that a candidate wins the popular vote but loses the electoral vote.

.

Nobody scores points in baseball.

Runs. Whatever. Don't let the point sail over your head.

.

 

[g5000]

I see. And to think, I was thinking we should get rid of the EC and make every state a battleground.

You would instantly see candidates stop campaigning in rural states and heavily urbanized states would become the battleground states.

.

 

[aaronleland]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

It means thankfully, that Chicago, New York and L.A. do not get to pick who becomes the President on their own.

Exactly, and Considering Large Cities are Democrat, you can see why so many Dems don't like the EC.

Now, In the event Romney wins the Popular vote, and Obama the EC, all of the sudden those same Dems will say how great the EC is.

I admit I preferred Al Gore to George W. Bush in 2000, but I agree completely. I'm not sure who will win the popular vote this time, but I guarantee Democrats will be singing a different tune about the EC if it is Romney.

 

[konradv]

Will soemone explain the electoral college to me? I dont fully understand why it is there if they work for US? Does the popular vote not count?

Only on a state-by-state basis. Not across the country. That's why Bush won in '00 despite getting fewer total votes.