BREAKING IT DOWN
PAGE 6
SO.. WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE? BY: ANUSHA NATARAJAN
,
The Electoral College has been an important piece of the voting process since the beginning of American elections. In the U.S. Constitution (Article II Section 1), it was established that the electoral college would decide who would consist the American presidential ticket for the next set of terms (the ticket includes both the president and vice president). These terms would consist in twos, four years in each term. The main reason that this system was created was to make sure that educated individuals would select the next president. The Electoral College in the United States is based on the number of senators and representatives from each state, making it a total of 538 electoral votes. Let’s take the state of California for an example. California has currently 55 electoral votes because there are 2 senators and 53 representatives, which add up to make up 55 electoral votes. These 55 electors will then cast their vote for the next President. In order to become president, 270 votes need to be reached in order to be declared the winner.
