Is it time to abolish the Electoral College?

Multiple Choice

What is the Electoral College?

• A famous US university which future presidents attend

• A school which focuses only on studying US politics

• The system used to determine the winner of US presidential elections

Open Ended

What do you know already about how the Electoral College works?

Open Ended

How are each of the numbers on this map worked out?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following statements about the Electoral College is correct?

• A candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes to become president.

• Each state has the same number of electoral votes.

• The winner in each state always gets a proportional share of electoral votes.

• There are 600 total electoral votes.

Open Ended

How might the outcome of a presidential election be different if the United States used only the popular vote instead of the Electoral College?

Multiple Select

Which of the following are true about the Electoral College process?

• Electors meet in their state capitals to cast votes.

• The winner-take-all rule is a constitutional requirement.

• Electors are usually nominated by the controlling party in each state.

• Maine and Nebraska do not use the winner-take-all system.

Multiple Choice

What happens if no presidential candidate wins a majority of electoral votes?

• The Senate elects the president.

• The House of Representatives elects the president, with each state having one vote.

• The Supreme Court decides the winner.

• A new election is held immediately.

Multiple Choice

What is the main difference between the outcome of the electoral college and the popular vote in the 2016 U.S. presidential election?

• The electoral college and popular vote always match

• Trump won both the popular vote and the electoral college

• Clinton won the electoral college but lost the popular vote

• Trump won the electoral college while Clinton won the popular vote

Multiple Choice

What would happen if both candidates received 269 electoral votes each?

• The candidate with more popular votes wins

• The election is decided by the Supreme Court

• The House of Representatives decides the winner

• There is a nationwide re-vote

Multiple Choice

What might be a consequence of abolishing the Electoral College?

• Every state would have equal influence

• Only a few large states would dominate elections

• Elections would be decided by Congress

• Voter turnout would decrease

Open Ended

Why do you think some Americans want to abolish the Electoral College?

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is a reason cited by campaigns for abolishing the Electoral College?

• Small states are over-represented

• It increases voter turnout

• It is easy to understand

• It supports third parties

Open Ended

Outline two strengths of the Electoral College system as discussed in class?

Open Ended

Outline two weaknesses of the Electoral College system as discussed in class?

Open Ended

Is it time to abolish the Electoral College? Write your view on our enquiry question with a supporting reason.