Electoral College

Electoral College

Open Ended

What do you know about the electoral college?

What is the Electoral College

• The process of selecting a president in the US

• A compromise between those who wanted Congress to choose the president and those who wanted the people to choose the president

Multiple Choice

How many electoral votes are needed to get the president elected?

• 270

• 538

• 15

• 55

Multiple Choice

What amendment added 3 electoral votes for Washington DC?

• 15th

• 19th

• 23rd

• 26th

How does it work?

• Every 10 years the census takes an official count of all people in the US

• The population determines the number of electoral votes each state gets

• All states have at least THREE votes

• The number of EC Votes a state gets = the # of senators (2) + # of reps

How it works (cont.)

• During the presidential elections, voters in each state vote for president (but really for electors)

• In MOST states whoever receives the most votes (even by 1 vote), gets all of the electoral votes (Winner-take-all)

• Whichever candidate gets 270 electoral votes becomes the president

What happens if no one gets 270 votes?

• The House of Reps elects the president

• The Senate elects the VP

Multiple Choice

NC as 13 reps, how many electoral votes do we have?

• 11

• 13

• 15

• 17

Multiple Choice

How often can the number of EC votes a state has change?

• Every year

• Every 2 years

• Every 10 years

• Never