Does Electoral College have to vote popular?
There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their States. Some States, however, require electors to cast their votes according to the popular vote. No elector has ever been prosecuted for failing to vote as pledged.
Why does the US use the Electoral College instead of the popular vote?
The Electoral College As prescribed in the U.S. Constitution, American presidents are elected not directly by the people, but by the people’s electors. The Electoral College was created by the framers of the U.S. Constitution as an alternative to electing the president by popular vote or by Congress.
What’s the difference between popular vote and electoral vote?
When citizens cast their ballots for president in the popular vote, they elect a slate of electors. Electors then cast the votes that decide who becomes president of the United States. Usually, electoral votes align with the popular vote in an election.
What is the difference between electoral vote and popular vote?
Has Electoral College ever voted different than the popular vote?
The presidential elections of 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016 produced an Electoral College winner who did not receive the most votes in the general election.
Who decides electoral votes?
Electoral votes are allocated among the States based on the Census. Every State is allocated a number of votes equal to the number of senators and representatives in its U.S. Congressional delegation—two votes for its senators in the U.S. Senate plus a number of votes equal to the number of its Congressional districts.
What is the popular vote and how does it work?
In a presidential election, the popular vote simply means an aggregate of all voters from all states in America. The candidate who gets the most votes nationwide is said to have won the popular vote. But the winner of the popular vote may end up losing the election, like Al Gore did in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.
How are electoral votes awarded in the US?
How Electoral Votes are Awarded. In all states except Nebraska and Maine, electors are awarded on a winner-take-all basis. This means all electors/delegates in a state are awarded to the winner of the popular vote in that state.
What does winner takes all mean in the Electoral College?
“Winner takes all” is implemented in all but two states: Nebraska and Maine. “Winner takes all” means all Electoral College votes will go to one candidate based on the state’s popular vote. For example: Pennsylvania has 20 electoral votes.
Does your vote really matter in an election?
Your vote may not directly elect the president, but if your vote joins enough others in your voting district or county, your vote undoubtedly matters when it comes to electoral results. Most states have a “winner take all” system where the popular vote winner gets the state’s electoral votes. There are also local and state elections to consider.