1.10 Electoral College

Electoral College

A body of electors established by the Constitution to elect the President and Vice President of the United States.

Winner-Take-All

An electoral system where the candidate who receives the most votes in a state receives all of that state's electoral votes.

Faithless Electors

Electors who do not vote for the candidate they pledged to support; not bound by federal law.

Majority of Electoral Votes

To win the presidential election, a candidate must obtain a majority, which is currently 270 out of 538 electoral votes.

Proportional System

An electoral system in which candidates receive a percentage of electoral votes that corresponds to their percentage of the popular vote.

House of Representatives

The legislative body that selects the President if no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes.

Minimum Electoral Votes per State

Each state is allocated a minimum of 3 electoral votes regardless of population.

Amendment 23

The constitutional amendment that granted Washington D.C. the right to participate in presidential elections with three electoral votes.

Plurality vs Majority

A candidate can win with a plurality (most votes, but not more than half) rather than a majority (more than half) of the popular vote.

Criticism of the Electoral College

Concerns include the potential for a minority president, distortion of popular votes, and overrepresentation of small states.