GOV 10.3

What is unique about how the U.S. president is elected?

• A U.S. president cannot be elected unless at least 75 percent of registered voters cast a ballot.

• The U.S. president is not elected directly by voters.

• A U.S. president cannot be elected to office if he or she fails to win the popular vote.

• The U.S. president is elected by members of Congress.

What is the Electoral College?

• A system set by the Constitution for selecting the president and vice president.

• The name for training or courses a president elect must complete before taking office.

• A body that validates that votes for the presidential election were properly counted in each state.

• The body that implements and monitors campaign finance laws for presidential campaigns.

How many electors is each state allowed in the Electoral College? Mark only one oval.

• one for each county in the state

• one for each member it has in the U.S. Senate

• the same as the number of senators and representatives it has in Congress

• one for each member it has in the House of Representatives

How many votes in the Electoral College are required for a presidential candidate to secure victory? Mark only one oval.

• 51

• 218

• 270

• 301

What is a winner-take-all system in a presidential election? Mark only one oval.

• If a candidate secures 60 percent or more of the total popular vote, no Electoral College vote is needed.

• If a candidate receives the most votes in a state, he or she receives all the state's electors to the Electoral College.

• If a candidate secures enough states in the eastern and central time zones on Election Day, voting will be stopped in the mountain and western states when victory is declared.

• If a candidate secures over 50 percent of the popular vote in the country, he or she wins the Electoral College vote.

How do candidates for president make their candidacy official?

• They must form a political action committee (PAC).

• They must secure at least one elector to the Electoral College.

• They must secure at least $1 million in campaign donations.

• They must register with the Federal Election Committee (FEC).

Why are presidential primaries and caucuses held?

• They are part of the process of securing a party's nomination for the general election.

• These are fund-raising events to raise money for the general election.

• They help candidates solidify their positions on important issues and develop campaign slogans.

• Candidates use them to determine if they have a chance to win election before officially declaring their candidacies.

When does each political party officially declare who its candidate for the general election will be?

• after all but one of the candidates drop out of the primary races

• during each party's national nominating convention

• when one candidate surpasses $100 million in fundraising

• after the third debate between party candidates

What is the term for a candidate who represents a political party that is not the Democrats or the Republicans?

• a landslide candidate

• a radical candidate

• a wild-card candidate

• a third-party candidate

After a presidential election in November, when does the new president take office?

• exactly one year after Election Day

• the following March

• immediately after the electors meet in December to cast their votes in the Electoral College

• the following January