By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO
Every four years, the United States prepares for a presidential election where citizens cast their votes for the next commander-in-chief. However, while every vote is significant, the outcome is ultimately decided by the Electoral College, a system that some critics argue is outdated.
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is a process through which the United States elects its president, involving 538 electors. To secure victory, a presidential candidate must obtain at least 270 electoral votes. Each state is allocated a minimum of three electoral votes: Two for each U.S senator and additional votes based on its representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The number of representatives a state has in the U.S. House is based on each state’s individual population size. This ensures that every state has a voice in the electoral process. For example, Texas has two U.S. senators and 38 House representatives which equates to 40 electoral votes, while Idaho has only four electoral votes for its two U.S. senators and two members of the House.
Unlike congressional, state and local elections, which are decided by popular vote, the presidential election relies on electoral votes from members of the Electoral College.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.-4) told the AFRO that the process is “obsolete.”
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense, just from the standpoint of each vote counting. Because if you’re in a state like California or New York or Alabama, where the state’s deep blue or deep red, your vote doesn’t mean as much in the presidential [election],” said Ivey. “You know the state’s already going to go in that direction and I think it discourages voter participation for that reason.”
How does the Electoral College work?
In 48 states and Washington, D.C., electors apply a “winner-takes-all” approach, where the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state receives all of its electoral votes. However, Maine and Nebraska have a different method. The candidate who wins the statewide popular vote is awarded two electoral votes, while the remaining electoral votes are distributed based on the winner of each congressional district.
Who are the electors?
Electors are selected by each state’s political parties according to specific criteria. The process involves two steps. First, each political party’s state convention nominates a list of potential electors prior to the general election and then a vote is held at the party’s convention. It is important to note that, according to Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution, certain officials, including senators and representatives, are barred from serving as electors.
Can a presidential candidate win the popular vote and still lose the election?
Yes, it is possible for a presidential candidate to win the popular vote yet lose the election due to the Electoral College system because the electors have the ultimate say. They have the discretion to cast their ballots for the popular candidate or for the unpopular candidate.
For example, in the 2016 election, Donald Trump secured 304 electoral votes compared to Hillary Clinton’s 227, despite Clinton receiving nearly 3 million more popular votes. Similarly, in 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote by over half a million votes, but lost the presidency to George W. Bush, who garnered 271 electoral votes.
What happens if no candidate secures a majority?
If no candidate achieves the necessary majority of electoral votes, the U.S. House of Representatives will convene to elect the president. This scenario occurred in 1824 when four candidates split the electoral vote, prompting a decision by the House. However, such an event is highly unlikely in contemporary elections.
Historical context of the Electoral College
The Electoral College was established as a compromise during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. Delegates were divided on whether the president should be elected by popular vote or by Congress, but settled on the Electoral College as a balanced solution to select the nation’s leader.
During the convention, delegates also agreed to the three-fifths compromise, an agreement that allowed southern states to count three out of five enslaved individuals in their populations, increasing their representation in Congress and consequently, their electoral votes. This dynamic played a crucial role in elections, such as the 1800 election where slave owner Thomas Jefferson defeated anti-slavery advocate John Adams.
Many Americans are unfamiliar with the Electoral College’s history. Ivey told the AFRO that the process needs to be added to school curricula.
“We hear people talking frequently about the need to have civics taught in the class in schools again, and I agree with that,” said Ivey. “A new challenge too is disinformation and misinformation. We’ve got foreign adversaries who were actively sowing false information and trying to attempt to generate chaos and confusion among voters.
“We got to make sure we were pushing back on that very hard as well,” added Ivey.
Certification of electoral votes
Every four years, a joint session of Congress convenes in January to count and certify the electoral votes from each state. The sitting vice president presides over this session, announcing the election winner to the nation.
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