National Conventions

• The meetings at which the delegates vote to pick their presidential and vice-presidential candidates

• Regularly, the leading contender has won enough delegates in the primaries and caucuses to lock up the nomination before the convention meets

The Role of the Electoral College

The Popular and Electoral Vote

Were Presidents ever elected popularly?

Compromise

• Election by Congress

• Election by Popular Vote

Electoral College = Indirect Method of Election

Given the electoral college procedure, is the individual vote

really meaningful?

12th Amendment

• The major change in the electoral college made by the amendment was that each elector would distinctly cast one electoral vote for President and one for Vice President.

Constitutional System

Article II Section I Modified

12th Amendment 1804

23rd Amendment 1961

Electoral College

• It is the collective name for a group of electors, nominated by political parties within the states and popularly elected, who meet to vote for the two offices:

• President• Vice-President

Electoral College Process

General Population Votes

Your vote for President and Vice President doesn’t elect the

candidates

You are actually voting for slates

of electors pledged to that

candidate.

18 H + 2 S = 20 Electoral Votes

ElectorsTotal = 538

House of Rep. = 435Senate = 100

D.C. = 3

270 Votes Win

Ohio’s Slate ofElectors

Electoral College Process

Governor

Ohio’s Capitol Building

Electors

ELECTING A PRESIDENT

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

ELECTION DAY CONGRESS

PRESIDENT

Electoral College Process

Joint Session of Congress

2000 Election

General Election• Think 51 Separate Elections–48 States and District of Columbia do a

Winner Take All for awarding Electors• Popular Vote = All of Electors

–2 States award Electors based on a Proportional Method or Split Slate• District Popular Vote = Electors based on

district• State Popular Vote = 2 Electors

Proportional Method = Split Slate District Vote and At-Large

Nebraska Maine

Election of 1800 and Political Parties

• The electoral college is the group of people (electors) chosen from each State and the District of Columbia that formally selects the President and Vice President. With the rise of political parties in 1796, flaws began to be seen in the system.

• Original Version Electors voted for two candidates.• 12th Amendment requires two votes cast for

President and Vice President.

Constitution

• Page 365– Read 365 – 367

• Page 766 and 773– Look at first line in each• Article 1 Section 1 Clause 3 (crossed out)• Amendment 12

Election of 1800

A Tie means that theConstitution calls forthe vote to be thrown into the House of Representatives.

House controlled by Federalists

House wanted BurrPopular Vote wanted Jefferson

Voted 36 Times

A Tie means that theConstitution calls forthe vote to be thrown into the House of Representatives.

House controlled by Federalists

House wanted BurrPopular Vote wanted Jefferson

Voted 36 Times

Popular Vote and Electoral Votes

• Elections of:– 1824– 1876– 1888– 2000

– Show video clip from• The Election Process in America

1824• Popular Vote

Andrew Jackson 43%John Q. Adams 30.5%

Electoral VoteJackson 99 votes (261)

Adams 84* Adams elected by House of

Representatives when Jackson did not receive a majority of the Electoral votes

1876• Popular Vote

Samuel Tilden 51%R. B. Hayes 48%

Electoral College Tilden 184Hayes 185

Winner: Hayes

1888• Popular Vote

Grover Cleveland 48.5 %Benjamin Harrison 47.8 %

Electoral CollegeCleveland 168Harrison 233

Winner: Harrison

2000• Popular Vote

Albert Gore 48.7%George W. Bush 48.5%

Electoral CollegeGore 266Bush 271

Winner: BushDistrict of Columbia has 3 votes and 1 Abstained.

Popular Votes and Electoral Votes

Even though Gore won the popular vote,

Bush won more states therefore

winning the electoral votes.

Bush Wins!