How the US election works - BBC News
Summary
TLDRThe U.S. presidential election system relies on the Electoral College, a group of 538 electors who vote for the president based on their state's popular vote. Despite concerns over direct popular vote, this system was established over 200 years ago to balance democracy with the selection of a suitable president. With a candidate needing at least 270 electoral votes to win, it's possible to lose the popular vote yet win the presidency. Campaigns often focus on swing states, as seen in recent elections where candidates with fewer public votes won the White House.
Takeaways
- 🗳️ In the U.S. presidential election, voters technically vote for electors, not directly for the president.
- 🏛️ The Electoral College is a group of 538 electors who cast votes to elect the president.
- 📊 A presidential candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win the election.
- 📈 The number of electors each state has is based on its population size.
- 🏢 The 'winner-takes-all' system in most states means the candidate with the most votes gets all the state's electoral votes.
- 🔄 This system has led to instances where a candidate can lose the popular vote but win the electoral vote, as happened in two of the last five elections.
- 🎯 Campaigns often focus on battleground or swing states to secure the necessary 270 electoral votes.
- 📅 The Electoral College system dates back over 200 years and was designed as a compromise to prevent the election of an unsuitable president through direct popular vote.
- 🌐 The system is intended to ensure that presidential elections deliver decisive results across the vast U.S.
- 🔄 There have been ongoing efforts to change the Electoral College system, but it remains in place due to its proponents' belief in its effectiveness.
Q & A
How does the electoral college system influence the U.S. presidential elections?
-The electoral college system influences U.S. presidential elections by allowing a candidate to win the presidency without securing the majority of the popular vote. This is because each state's electors, who are members of the electoral college, cast votes for the president, and a candidate needs at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win.
Why was the electoral college established in the United States?
-The electoral college was established as a compromise by the founders of the United States to create a democratic system that would prevent the election of an unsuitable president through a direct popular vote. It was designed to balance the interests of both large and small states.
How are the electors in the electoral college chosen?
-Electors in the electoral college are chosen by political parties in each state. The process varies by state, but generally, they are selected by party members or at party conventions, and they pledge to vote for their party's candidate in the presidential election.
What is the significance of the number 270 in the context of the electoral college?
-The number 270 is significant because it represents the majority of the electoral votes needed to win the U.S. presidency. With a total of 538 electors, a candidate must secure at least 270 votes to be elected president.
How does the 'winner-takes-all' system work in the electoral college?
-In the 'winner-takes-all' system, the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state receives all of that state's electoral votes, regardless of the margin of victory. This can lead to a candidate winning the presidency even if they lose the national popular vote.
What are swing states and why are they important in U.S. presidential elections?
-Swing states, also known as battleground states, are states where the outcome of the election is uncertain and could go either way. They are important because campaigns often focus their efforts on these states to secure the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
How has the electoral college system affected past U.S. presidential elections?
-The electoral college system has affected past U.S. presidential elections by allowing candidates to win the presidency despite losing the popular vote, as seen in the 2000 and 2016 elections. This has led to debates about the fairness and effectiveness of the electoral college.
What are some arguments in favor of maintaining the electoral college system?
-Arguments in favor of maintaining the electoral college include ensuring that smaller states have a voice in the election, preventing the tyranny of the majority, and providing a clear and decisive outcome for presidential elections.
What are some arguments against the electoral college system?
-Arguments against the electoral college include the potential for a candidate to win the presidency without the popular vote, the unequal weight of votes across states, and the focus on swing states at the expense of other states.
Are there any efforts to change or abolish the electoral college system?
-Yes, there have been various efforts to change or abolish the electoral college system, including the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which aims to ensure the presidency goes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote.
How does the electoral college system affect campaign strategies?
-The electoral college system affects campaign strategies by causing candidates to focus on winning swing states and maximizing their electoral vote count, rather than trying to win the popular vote nationwide.
Outlines
🗳️ The Electoral College System in U.S. Elections
The paragraph discusses the U.S. electoral system, focusing on the role of the Electoral College in presidential elections. It explains that when Americans vote, they are technically voting for electors who will then choose the president. The system was established over 200 years ago as a compromise to prevent the direct election of an unsuitable president. Each state is allocated electors based on population size, and a candidate needs at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes to win. The paragraph highlights that the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state typically receives all of that state's electoral votes, which can lead to a candidate winning the presidency despite losing the popular vote. This has occurred in two of the last five elections. Campaigns often focus on battleground states to secure the necessary 270 electoral votes.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Electoral College
💡Popular Vote
💡Presidency
💡Electors
💡Majority
💡Swing States
💡Direct Popular Vote
💡Compromise
💡Campaign Strategies
💡Decisive Results
Highlights
In the 2016 U.S. election, Donald Trump became president despite losing the popular vote by almost 3 million votes.
Americans technically vote for electors, not directly for the presidential candidate.
The Electoral College is a group of electors who choose the president of the United States.
The electoral system dates back over 200 years and was a compromise by the U.S. founders.
Each state's electors are roughly based on its population size, with a total of 538 electors today.
A presidential candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win the election.
In most states, the candidate who wins the popular vote receives all of the state's electoral votes.
It's possible to lose the popular vote but win the presidency by securing a majority of electoral votes.
Two out of the last five U.S. presidential elections were won by candidates with fewer public votes.
Campaigns often focus on battleground or swing states to secure the necessary 270 electoral votes.
In the last presidential election, two-thirds of campaign events were held in just six states.
The 538 members of the Electoral College play a crucial role in the U.S. presidential election.
There have been efforts to change the Electoral College system over the years.
Proponents of the Electoral College argue it ensures decisive results across a large country.
Everyone knows the rules of the Electoral College system before election day.
Transcripts
remember the 2016 u.s election
donald trump secured the presidency
despite getting almost
3 million fewer votes than hillary
clinton
it could happen again and it all comes
down to how the president
is actually elected when americans go to
the polls in november
they won't technically be voting for
donald trump or joe biden
but for members of something called the
electoral college
the word college simply refers to a
group of people
or electors with a shared task to choose
the president of the united states
the system goes back more than 200 years
the founders of the united states wanted
to establish a democratic system
but were concerned that a direct popular
vote might lead to the election of an
unsuitable president
electors were settled on as a compromise
each state was given a number of
electors
based roughly on the size of its
population
today there are 538 electors and the
successful presidential candidate will
need to get a majority of these
at least 270 in order to win
in most states the candidate who wins
the popular vote
gets the support of all of that state's
electors for example
whether a winning candidate gets 99 or
51
of the vote in california they would
still receive all the state's
55 electoral college votes that's why
it's possible for a candidate to lose
the popular vote
across the country but still secure a
majority of electoral college votes
and become president two out of the last
five elections were won by candidates
who received fewer votes from the public
although this hadn't happened for more
than 100 years before the 2000 election
what all this means is that campaigns
often focus on strategies that help
secure the 270 electoral votes needed to
win
they tend to target battleground or
swing states
rather than trying to turn out voters in
states which consistently vote for the
same party
in fact in the last presidential
election two-thirds of campaign events
were held in just
six states so the 538 members of the
electoral college play a crucial role in
how the president of the united states
is elected
over the years there have been efforts
to change the electoral college system
but proponents say it helps deliver
decisive results across a vast
country and everyone knows the rules of
the game
before election day
you
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