Our Founding Fathers wanted the President to be elected by direct vote but were concerned that the electorate could be influenced by information heard right before an election - causing them to vote out of anger - or “mob rule”. If you think about how easily information can be received today - through the media & the internet, this is definitely a concern.
To keep this from happening, the Electoral College was created. Electors would be chosen to represent the electorate & would vote according to the results of the election. The number of Electors is determined by the number of US Representatives & Senators in that State.
Today the total number of Electors is equal to the number of Representatives (435) + the number of Senators (100) + 3 from the District Of Columbia = 538. To win an election, a candidate must receive 270 votes. If a candidate does not receive this amount, the decision is turned over to the House Of Representatives.
The Electors are usually chosen by the Political Parties to assure that they will vote for their Candidate. Electors are “on call” & will go to the Electoral College as soon as their State verifies the election results.
Except for the states of Maine & Nebraska - who send representatives according to the proportion of results received - all states take a “winner take all” position. Whoever wins the majority of votes gets all Electors.
Electors are not required to vote for the candidate of the Political Party. If they feel that the vote does not reflect the true desire of the electorate or feel that “mob rule” occurred because of news received right before the election, they can change their vote. As all States, except the two aforementioned, take a majority position, a State’s vote that is split will usually activate a request that a poll of the Electors be taken.
A Swing State is a state in which all candidates have a reasonable chance of winning the state’s Electoral College votes. These states are usually a major focus of the Political Parties - as winning these states may “clinch” the election. In today’s Presidential elections, campaigns focus on the states that have the most electoral votes & swing states. Political Parties will not spend time in a state where the outcome appears to be predetermined - a “safe state” for one of the parties.
The six states with the most electors are California (55), Texas (34), New York (31), Florida (27), Illinois (21), and Pennsylvania (21). The total electors in these states is 189. Winning these six states “guarantee” the election. The remaining electoral votes is 169. So, even if all other states vote differently from these six states, they can not elect the candidate. For all practical purposes, our “National” election has become a “Six State” election.
Because of the “winner take all” aspect to the Electoral College, many believe that the electorate are not being properly represented. A candidate who wins a state with 51- 49% of the vote - wins all electoral votes - even though it is really a “split decision”.
If Electors were determined proportionally, the results of the election could be different - as all voters throughout the Republic would be represented. I personally agree with this position and would like to see an amendment requiring that Electors in each state be determined by the proportion of votes. Historically, in three elections, the candidate who won the popular vote did not win the election.
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