Electing a US President in Plain English

Summary

The U.S. presidential election is a complex process where citizens' votes determine the president. Instead of a simple popular vote, the election relies on an electoral system where states allocate their electors based on population. Each state's influence is measured by its electors, calculated from congressional districts plus two senators. The candidate securing a majority of 270 out of 538 total electors wins the presidency. This system emphasizes the importance of populous states and illustrates how each vote contributes to the election outcome.

Takeaways

• 🗳️ Every four years, US citizens 18 and older vote to elect the President.
• 🏛️ The election isn't decided by the popular vote but by individual states.
• 📊 Your vote contributes to your state's choice for President and Vice President.
• 🏷️ Each state's votes are counted, and the candidate with the majority wins the state's electoral support.
• 🔄 The process is repeated across all states and the District of Columbia.
• ⚖️ States have varying influence due to differences in population size.
• 🏢 States are divided into congressional districts based on population, affecting their electoral influence.
• 📈 The number of 'electors' a state has is crucial, derived from its districts plus two senators.
• 🏆 The candidate who secures a majority of 270 out of 538 total electors wins the presidency.
• 📅 The President-elect is inaugurated on January 20th following the election.

Q & A

How often do Americans vote for their president?

Americans vote for their president every four years.

What is the minimum age to vote in the U.S. presidential election?

The minimum age to vote in the U.S. presidential election is 18.

How does the U.S. election system differ from a simple popular vote?

The U.S. election system does not decide the president by the total or popular vote, but by individual states.

What happens on election day in the context of the U.S. presidential election?

On election day, voters in each state cast their votes for a presidential candidate, and the candidate with the most votes in the state gets all the state's electoral votes.

Why can't the U.S. president be elected by just counting the choices of the states?

The U.S. president can't be elected by just counting the choices of the states because states have different populations, and the system needs to account for this to ensure each state has the right amount of influence.

How does the population of a state affect its influence in the election?

The population of a state affects its influence in the election by determining the number of congressional districts it has, which in turn affects the number of electors it has.

What is the role of congressional districts in the U.S. election process?

Congressional districts are based on population and determine the number of electors a state has, which influences the state's impact on the presidential election.

How many electors does North Carolina have and how is this number determined?

North Carolina has 15 electors, determined by the number of congressional districts (13) plus two additional electors for the state's U.S. senators.

What is the significance of the number 270 in the context of the U.S. presidential election?

The number 270 is significant because it represents the majority of the 538 electors in total, and winning a majority of 270 electors secures a candidate's victory in the presidential election.

How does a candidate become the president-elect?

A candidate becomes the president-elect by winning enough states to reach the 270 majority of electors.

When does the president-elect take office?

The president-elect is sworn in as the next president of the United States on January 20th following the election.

Outlines

00:00

🗳️ US Presidential Election Process

This paragraph explains the complexity of the US election system, contrasting the popular misconception of a direct popular vote with the actual Electoral College system. It details that while every US citizen votes for a presidential candidate, the election is decided by individual states. Each state's choice is determined by the majority vote within that state, and states are not equally weighted in the election due to differences in population. The paragraph introduces the concept of 'electors,' which are awarded to candidates based on winning a state, and these electors are derived from a state's congressional districts plus two additional electors for each state's senators. The ultimate goal for a candidate is to secure a majority of the 538 electors available, which is 270, to win the presidency.

Keywords

💡Election

An election is a formal process by which people choose their representatives in government or decide on certain matters by voting. In the context of the video, the focus is on the U.S. presidential election, where citizens vote to elect the president and vice president of the United States. The video emphasizes the importance of each citizen's vote in this process.

💡Popular Vote

The popular vote refers to the total number of votes each candidate receives in an election. The video explains that in U.S. presidential elections, the outcome is not determined by the popular vote alone but by the electoral vote, highlighting the unique nature of the U.S. election system.

💡Electoral Vote

The electoral vote is the mechanism by which the U.S. president is elected. It involves electors who cast votes on behalf of their state. The video clarifies that the candidate who secures a majority of the 538 electoral votes available wins the presidency, illustrating the significance of each state's electors.

💡State

In the U.S., a state is a political entity with its own government and electorate. The video explains that each state casts its votes for a presidential candidate based on the popular vote within that state, and the candidate who wins the majority in a state gains all of that state's electoral votes.

💡Congressional Districts

Congressional districts are geographical areas within a state that are represented by a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. The video uses North Carolina as an example, noting that it has 13 congressional districts, which, along with the state's two senators, determines its total number of electors.

💡Electors

Electors are the individuals who officially cast votes in the Electoral College for a presidential candidate. The video explains that each state's number of electors is derived from the sum of its congressional districts and two senators, emphasizing the role of electors in the election process.

💡Majority

A majority refers to more than half of a total amount, which in the context of the Electoral College, means at least 270 of the 538 electoral votes. The video stresses that a presidential candidate must win a majority of these votes to be elected.

💡President-elect

The president-elect is the individual who has won a majority of electoral votes and is set to assume the office of the president. The video mentions that once a candidate reaches the 270 electoral vote threshold, they become the president-elect, awaiting inauguration.

💡Inauguration

Inauguration is the formal ceremony by which a president-elect is sworn into office. The video notes that the president-elect is inaugurated on January 20th following the election, marking the official start of their term.

💡Population

Population refers to the total number of people living within a geographical area. The video discusses how the population of a state influences its political power in elections, as larger states like California have more congressional districts and thus more electors.

💡U.S. Senators

U.S. senators are the members of the upper chamber of the U.S. Congress, with each state having two senators regardless of population size. The video explains that each state's number of electors in the Electoral College includes two for its senators, ensuring equal representation for this aspect of the election.

Highlights

Americans aged 18 or older have a big responsibility every four years in electing the president.

The US election system is not decided by the popular vote but by individual states.

On election day, voters cast their ballots for the president and vice president.

The candidate with the most votes in a state is supported by that state.

Each state's choice is based on the majority of votes, not the total US population.

The population difference between states affects their influence on the election.

States are divided into congressional districts based on population.

The number of districts in a state correlates with its influence in the election.

The influence of a state is measured by the number of 'electors' it has.

Each state's electors are calculated by adding its number of districts to its two U.S. senators.

Winning a state means winning all of its electors.

Big, populous states are important because they have more electors.

The total number of electors from all states and the District of Columbia is 538.

The goal for a candidate is to win a majority of 270 electors to become president elect.

The president elect is sworn in on January 20th following the election.

Your vote contributes to your state's choice of a candidate.

The candidate who wins your state receives all of its electors.

The candidate who reaches 270 total electors wins the national election and becomes president elect.

Transcripts

Every four years, Americans who are 18 or older have a big responsibility.

Our votes decide who becomes the president of the United States.

Unfortunately the US election system isn't that simple.

It's easy to imagine every US citizen's vote being counted together on election day.

But this is not the case.

US elections are not decided by the total or popular vote, but individual states.

Let me explain.

It starts with your vote.

On election day you’ll vote for president and their vice president.

You get one choice.

Then, all the votes in your state are counted.

The candidate with the most state-wide votes becomes the candidate your state supports

for president.

This happens across the country until each state has selected their candidate.

We end up with most of the 50 states and the District of Columbia voting to support 1 candidate

each.

But there's a problem.

We can't elect a president by just counting up the choices of these states - US states

are different.

Consider this: California has about 36 million people, Kansas has less than 3 million.

We need a way for California's choice to have more influence on the election because the

state has more people.

The question becomes - how do we make sure each state has the right amount of influence

on the election?

Well, we need to account for the population of each state.

As an example, Let's consider my home state of North Carolina...

Like every state, it is divided up into congressional districts that are based on population.

North Carolina has 13 districts, California has 53 and Kansas has four.

When it comes to a state's influence on the election, the number of districts matters

most.

More population = More districts = More influence.

The influence a state has in the election is measured by the number of "electors".

This number comes from the number of districts in a state plus the number of U.S. senators

- which is always two.

North Carolina has 15 electors, California has 55.

When a candidate wins the voting in a state, they win that state’s number of electors.

That's why big, populous states can be so important to candidates – their electors

add up quickly.

And the number of electors is what really matters.

Here’s why…

If you add up the electors of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, there are 538

in total.

The goal on election day is to win the majority of 538 – or 270 electors.

Once a candidate wins enough states to reach the 270 majority, they have won the election

and become the president elect.

So, let's recap - Your vote helps your state choose a single candidate.

That candidate receives all the electors from your state.

The candidate who can win enough states to reach 270 total electors wins the national

election and becomes the president elect.

Then, on the following January 20th, the president elect is sworn in as the next president of

the United States.

Yay!

It all starts with your vote.

Make it count.