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Each state has electoral votes equal to the total of the 2 representative the state has in the U.S. Senate plus the number of representative the state has in the House of Representatives. Since every state has two senators and at least one representative to the House, every state has at least 3 electoral votes.
States have the same number of electoral votes as they have congresspeople (senators and representatives).
Since each state is allowed two Senators and at least one representative in the House, the minimum number of electoral votes any state can have is 3. There are several states with only 3 electoral votes (currently Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, both North and South Dakota, and Vermont).
The District of Columbia also has three electoral votes (despite not having any voting members in Congress).
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How do you get elected to be president?
Although each state holds presidential elections every 4 years, the actual "election" is held about a month later by the "Electoral College". The results from the "General Election" are generally transferred through the Electoral College, but the "Delegates" are not required to vote as their state did. The candidate with 270 Electoral Votes becomes president. Although the state by state elections are based on "Popular Vote", the actual election is solely based on the Electoral College. I.E. 2000, Gore v. Bush (Gore won the National Popular Vote while G. W. Bush won the Electoral Vote).
How does a candidate receive electoral votes in any given state?
Most states appoint their electors on a winner-take-all basis, based on the statewide popular vote on Election Day. Maine and Nebraska are the only two current exceptions. Maine and Nebraska distribute their electoral votes proportionally, with two at-large electors representing the statewide winning presidential and vice-presidential candidates and one elector each representing the winners from each of their Congressional districts.
What percentage of votes must a candidate have to win all the electoral votes of a state?
How a state allocates its electoral votes is up to that state. Most states allocate all electoral votes to the candidate with more votes than any other candidate in that state; this is called a plurality. Note, however, that some states require the electors to cast their ballots in the Electoral College for the winner of the popular vote, but others have no such requirement.
Do all electoral college votes from one state go to one candidate?
The District of Columbia and 48 U.S. states (all except Maine and Nebraska) utilize a winner-takes-all rule for the Electoral College. In a winner-take-all state, all of the state's Electoral votes go to whichever candidate receives a majority of the popular vote, or a plurality of the popular vote (less than 50 percent but more than any other candidate). Maine and Nebraska use the "congressional district method", selecting one elector within each congressional district by popular vote and awarding two electors by a statewide popular vote.
What are the three major weaknesses in the electoral college system?
The 3 major defects in the electoral College system are 1. the winner of the popular vote is not guarenteed the presidency 2. electors are not required to vote in accord with the popular vote 3. any election might have to be decided in the House of Reps.
How does a state know how many electoral votes they have?
The electoral college vote for any state is the total number of congress people they have. So, house # + 2 from senate
How is it possible for the electoral vote to produce a different result from the popular vote?
That happens because the electoral votes are not given in the same proportions as the popular votes received. Virtually every state uses the "winner-takes-all" method of appointing electors. If, for example, 48% of a state's popular votes are cast in favor of Candidate A, 47% support Candidate B, and 5% support Candidate C, Candidate A gets 100% of that state's electoral votes and Candidates B & C don't get any.The Electoral College casts the electoral votes. It is comprised of representatives of each state. While the popular vote is held to have an impact on the Electoral College's decisions on who to vote for, it is not illegal for the Electoral College to vote another way. In addition, not every state has the same amount of electoral votes. It is possible for more people total to vote for a president, but since they are so spread throughout the states, the Electoral Votes may end in another way.
Why does Puerto Rico get to vote in the presidential election?
Puerto Rico is not a state and so does not have any electoral votes. However, Puerto Ricans can vote for the president if they establish legal residence in some state and meet the other requirements to vote in that state.
How can you win the popular vote and still lose the election with the Electoral College system?
In the US elections for President and Vice President, the Electoral College actually votes to determine the winner. Many states award their electoral votes "winner take all" so that a narrow victory is the same as an overwhelming one. If one candidate wins most of the very-populous states but not enough electoral votes, their large popular vote in those states does not do them any good. The Electoral College was set up to avoid domination of the Presidency by candidates from the most populous states, at the expense of the more-numerous smaller states.
What good is a vote of the people when the electoral college votes who they want in the white house despite what the popular vote is?
The winner of the electoral votes for any given state, is the candidate who wins the popluar vote for that state. For example, in the 2000 election, Al Gore beat George Bush by 500,000+ popular votes but Bush won the bigger states that have more electoral votes and took the presidency. The popular vote counts big time. Don't let anyone tell you different!
How can electoral college votes be challenged?
The Electoral College votes cannot be challenged. They are appointed by their own State to vote for the State, but when elected they can vote any way they want. They do not have to follow the vote of the people of their State. The President is the only one elected this way. To challenge an elected President it can only be done through Constitutional means, such as treason, or unqualified to hold the office of President of the United States of America.
Did any electoral college delgates ever reversed their votes?
There have been a few Electors in the electoral college that did not vote in accordance with the popular vote in the state that they represent. The Electors are elected by popular vote in each state and each candidate for elector swears in advance whom he will vote for. If the Elector ultimately votes for a candidate other than the candidate the Elector swears in advance that he will vote for, the Elector is referred to as a "faithless elector". Due to faithless voting in the 2016 electoral college, electoral votes were cast for Colin Powell 3, Bernie Sanders 1, Ron Paul 1, John Kasich 1, and Faith Spotted Eagle 1.
How do you get elected to be president?
Although each state holds presidential elections every 4 years, the actual "election" is held about a month later by the "Electoral College". The results from the "General Election" are generally transferred through the Electoral College, but the "Delegates" are not required to vote as their state did. The candidate with 270 Electoral Votes becomes president. Although the state by state elections are based on "Popular Vote", the actual election is solely based on the Electoral College. I.E. 2000, Gore v. Bush (Gore won the National Popular Vote while G. W. Bush won the Electoral Vote).
Who are the electoral voters and can they vote the opposite as the population per state?
well, if you are talking about the election of the president, (or any nation wide seat for that matter), then the answer is: the representitaves of Ohio, for example, have to vote with the most percent of their state. Say, Ohio voted 66.6 percent Obama. The representatives of that state would have to vote Obama, when they are representing the state. while, i am uncertain if they vote twice, once for state, and once for personal matters.
Why should you keep the electoral college?
The electoral college gives more clout to smaller states. If a candidate only needed a simple majority they may only campaign or try to appease larger states or regions of the country. With the Electoral College system any vote for a candidate after the majority has been won in a certain state do not help a candidate. If votes counted over a state majority vote count, larger states would be targeted and paid more attention by candidates. Currently the large state of California has about 11% of the US population and controls about 10% of the electoral college vote. The small state of Rhode Island has about .3% of the US population but controls a little less then 1% of the electoral college vote. You shouldn't! It's undemocratic, because it misrepresents the popular vote. Most states have a winner-take-all system, but very rarely does the winner of a state get more than 75% of the votes!
How many electoral votes does Tucson have today?
Tucson does not have any electoral votes. Based on the 2010 Census, Arizona has 11 electoral votes. Arizona appoints its electors on a winner-take-all basis, based on the Arizona statewide popular vote on Election Day.
When states give all their electoral votes to candidate that wins the state?
In a winner-take-all state, all of the state's Electoral votes go to whichever candidate receives a majority of the popular vote, or a plurality of the popular vote (less than 50 percent but more than any other candidate).
