Ted Ed - The Electoral College

1. What is the purpose of the Electoral College? 

• To select members of Congress.
• To elect the president and vice president of the United States.
• To conduct national referendums.
• To determine state electoral votes.

How many TOTAL Electoral Votes there? (Number of Senators + Number of Representatives)

• 535
• 435

• 100

• 1,000

TRUE OR FALSE: Winning the popular vote is not enough to become president.

• True

• False

How many electoral votes does a candidate need in order to win the election?

• 535

• 400

• 300
• 270

What is a "swing state"?

• A swing state is a state with no political parties present.
• A state that tends to go back and forth between elections because both parties have a lot of supporters in that state.

• A swing state is a state that always votes for the same political party.

TRUE OR FALSE: If you win the popular vote, you automatically become President.

• True

• False

In elections, what are "safe states"?

• Safe states are regions where voter turnout is always low.
• Safe states are states where one political party consistently wins.

• Safe states are areas where elections are not held.
• Safe states are districts that have no political representation.

In elections, what are "swing states"?

• Swing states tend to go back and forth each election because there are a lot of supporters for both parties in each state

• Swing states are states with no electoral votes.
• Swing states are states that have a fixed number of voters.
• Swing states are states that always vote for the same party.

If you were a REPUBLICAN candidate, what state would be the BEST state to campaign in? (Look at the map.)

• Texas

• California

• Nevada

• Pennsylvania

Answer explanation

It's more beneficial to campaign in a SWING state instead of a SAFE state.

If you were a DEMOCRAT candidate, which state would be the BEST to campaign in? (Use the map)

• New York

• Alabama

• Pennsylvania

• Wisconsin

Answer explanation

Once again, it's better to campaign in a SWING state instead of a SAFE state.