How does the electoral college work

In the aftermath of the presidential race, Donald Trump and his allies fueled an effort to overturn the results of the election, spreading repeated lies about widespread voter fraud. Additionally, during the certification process for the election, some members of Congress also objected to the Electoral College results, attempting to throw out electors from certain states.

While these efforts ultimately failed, they revealed yet another vulnerability of the election system that stems from the Electoral College. Abolishing the Electoral College outright would require a constitutional amendment. As a workaround, scholars and activist groups have rallied behind the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact NPV , an effort that started after the election. Under it, participating states would commit to awarding their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.

In other words, the NPV would formally retain the Electoral College but render it moot, ensuring that the winner of the national popular vote also wins the presidency. If enacted, the NPV would incentivize presidential candidates to expand their campaign efforts nationwide, rather than focus only on a small number of swing states. For the NPV to take effect, it must first be adopted by states that control at least electoral votes.

In , Maryland became the first state to enact the compact. As of , a total of 19 states and Washington, DC, which collectively account for electoral votes, have joined. The public has consistently supported a nationwide popular vote. A poll by Pew Research Center, for example, found that 58 percent of adults prefer a system in which the presidential candidate who receives the most votes nationwide wins the presidency.

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How was the Electoral College established? In the Republican Party, the nominees for Governor, Lt. Senators, Representatives in Congress and persons holding office of trust or profit of the U. Any additional vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the chair of Republican State Central Committee according to Republican State Central Committee bylaws. Republican State Central Committee Chair must file the list with the Secretary of State by October 1 of the presidential election year.

In the American Independent, Green and Libertarian party electors are nominated at their state convention and the state chair certifies their names and residence addresses to the Secretary of State. In the Peace and Freedom Party electors are nominated at their state convention. The party chair certifies the list to the Secretary of State. No incumbent Senators, congressional representatives or persons holding an office of trust or profit of the United States can serve as electors.

The House of Representatives makes the decision with each state having one vote. In caucuses, party members meet, discuss, and vote for who they think would be the best party candidate. In primaries, party members vote in a state election for the candidate they want to represent them in the general election. After the primaries and caucuses, each major party, Democrat and Republican, holds a national convention to select a Presidential nominee.

The Presidential candidates campaign throughout the country to win the support of the general population. When people cast their vote, they are actually voting for a group of people called electors. The number of electors each state gets is equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress.

A total of electors form the Electoral College. Each elector casts one vote following the general election. The candidate who gets votes or more wins. An election for president of the United States happens every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The most recent presidential election was November 3, The election process begins with primary elections and caucuses.

These are two methods that states use to select a potential presidential nominee Nominee: the final candidate chosen by a party to represent them in an election. In general, primaries use secret ballots for voting. Caucuses are local gatherings of voters who vote at the end of the meeting for a particular candidate.

Then it moves to nominating conventions , during which political parties each select a nominee to unite behind. During a political party convention, each presidential nominee also announces a vice presidential running mate. The candidates then campaign across the country to explain their views and plans to voters. They may also participate in debates with candidates from other parties.

During the general election General Election: a final election for a political office with a limited list of candidates.

But the tally of those votes—the popular vote—does not determine the winner. Instead, presidential elections use the Electoral College. To win the election, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes. In the event no candidate receives a majority, the House of Representatives chooses the president and the Senate chooses the vice president. Choosing each State's electors is a two-part process. First, the political parties in each State choose slates of potential electors sometime before the general election.

Second, during the general election, the voters in each State select their State's electors by casting their ballots. The first part of the process is controlled by the political parties in each State and varies from State to State.

Generally, the parties either nominate slates of potential electors at their State party conventions or they chose them by a vote of the party's central committee. This happens in each State for each party by whatever rules the State party and sometimes the national party have for the process. This first part of the process results in each Presidential candidate having their own unique slate of potential electors. Political parties often choose individuals for the slate to recognize their service and dedication to that political party.

They may be State elected officials, State party leaders, or people in the State who have a personal or political affiliation with their party's Presidential candidate. For specific information about how slates of potential electors are chosen, contact the political parties in each State.