GOVERNMENT & POLITICS »» STATUTES »» ELECTORAL COLLEGE »» Nov 21, 2022

We may vote for our President and Vice President every four years but the Electoral College decides who will win these elections. Electoral College members are selected by the state they represent, and the number of electors in each state is equal to the number of its members of Congress. These members are elected by political parties and other groups, and in most states, they are elected to cast a vote for the Presidential candidate that the majority of constituents in their state have voted for. However, as we have discovered in multiple elections, winning the popular vote does not guarantee a candidate victory. At least 1 million more Americans voted for Al Gore than voted for George Bush in the 2000 presidential election, and Donald Trump won the 2016 election even though Hilary Clinton received nearly 4 million more votes. Electoral College supporters claim this system gives smaller states a bigger voice in federal elections. Opponents say the Electoral College was created to protect the country from an uninformed populace - which is certainly not the case in today’s Internet age. They claim the Electoral College is undemocratic, outdated and unnecessary. Proposed Joint Resolution: Reintroduction of H.J.Res.14 - Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the electoral college and to provide for the direct election of the President and Vice President of the United States. (117th Congress 2021-2022) Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Steve Cohen (TN)