Which of the following statements about the Electoral College is true?
A It was replaced as the method for electing the US President In 1975 with the ratification of a Constitutional Amendment.
B Electors in the Electoral College necessarily vote in favor of the candidate that won the popular vote in their state.
C The candidate who wins the national popular vote automatically becomes President even if they do not win a majority of the electoral college votes.
D Each state receives a number of electors equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in US Congress, and a candidate who win a majority of electoral college votes becomes President.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is D. Each state receives a number of electors equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in US Congress, and a candidate who wins a majority of electoral college votes becomes President.
The Electoral College is a unique system used to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. It was established by the U.S. Constitution and is made up of electors from each state. The number of electors a state has is equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress. For example, California, having two Senators and 53 Representatives, has 55 electors, while smaller states like Vermont have fewer electors due to their smaller population.
Each elector casts one vote for President and one for Vice President. A candidate needs a majority of the electoral votes, currently 270 out of 538, to win the presidency. If no candidate wins a majority, the decision is made by the U.S. House of Representatives, with each state delegation casting one vote to determine the President.
The Electoral College system ensures that states, especially smaller ones, have a degree of influence in the election process, as each state’s electors are based on their congressional representation. The system was designed to balance the power between more populous states and less populous ones.
Contrary to some common misconceptions:
- Option A is incorrect. The Electoral College was not replaced in 1975; it is still the method used today.
- Option B is incorrect. Electors are not required to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in their state. While most electors do, there have been instances of “faithless electors” who voted differently.
- Option C is also incorrect. The winner of the national popular vote does not automatically become President if they do not win a majority of the electoral votes. This happened in the 2000 and 2016 elections.