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Why every state must have electoral votes?
No, every state has at least three electoral votes
What is it called when a candidate wins the popular vote but loses the electoral vote?
You see, there are also Electoral Votes involved in elections. Each state has a set amount of Electoral Votes; the amount depends on how many counties the state has. When the popular vote is done, it is determined who got the most votes in each state. Once that is determined, ALL of the state's Electoral Votes go to that candidate. After a certain amount of Electoral Votes, a candidate an automatically win the election. In case that was too confusing, here's an example. In the last election, more of Oregon's residents voted for Obama than for McCain. So, all their Electoral College votes (I believe they have 5) went to Obama. There's more about Electoral Votes (they don't always go to the right candidate, for example), but that's the gist of it.
If a presidential candidate wins the popular vote in a given state does this mean that the electoral votes go to that candidate?
Yes, however there are a few exceptions. The first is that 2 states, Maine and Nebraska chose their electors by congressional district. In these states it's possible that there could be a split vote. This just happened in the 2008 election - Barack Obama had the most votes in the Omaha (and area) district and Nebraska split its electoral vote with McCain getting 4 and Obama 1. The other exception are "faithless electors" ... those who do not cast their vote in the electoral college for the winner of the state, even though they are pledged to do so. There have not been many of these, and in some states, this may be an action that is subject to legal prosecution.
What are the three main weaknesses of the electoral college system?
1. NOT a direct representation of the Populous (of who the population would want to vote for), this is because those people in the electoral college can VOTE in ANY WAY THEY WANT, They DO NOT have to Vote according to the preferences of those whom they represent. 2. Can give certain populations, specifically States, and incorrect allotment of representation/power if the U.S. Census Data regarding Population is Incorrect (electoral college votes are determined by population by region -- Counties and States). If those numbers are wrong -- too many or too few votes may be given to a given region and/or State.
How does the electoral college function?
Electoral votes in the U.S. Electoral College determine the President and Vice President of the United States. Every state and the District of Columbia are awarded a certain number of electoral votes with which to elect the President. 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. The District of Columbia gets 3 electoral votes. Therefore, the total number of electoral votes is 538 - 100 (senators) + 435 (representatives) + 3 (for DC). A majority is 270 - one more than half of the total number of 538. The electors in each state are elected in the presidential election and swear in advance to vote for the presidential candidate who wins the election in their state. Electors meet in their respective state capitals (electors for the District of Columbia meet within the District) on the Monday after the second Wednesday in December, at which time they cast their electoral votes on separate ballots for president and vice-president. Each state then forwards the election results to the President of the U.S. Senate, the Archivist of the United States, the state's Secretary of State, and the chief judge of the United States district court where those electors met. A joint session of Congress takes place on January 6 in the calendar year immediately following the meetings of the presidential electors. The electoral votes are officially tabulated at the joint session of Congress and the winner of the election is officially declared.
