Electoral College

Introduction
Pros
- Pro 1: The Electoral College ensures that all parts of the country are involved in selecting U.S. presidents.
- Pro 2: The Electoral College was created to protect minority voices from being overwhelmed by the majority.
- Pro 3: The Electoral College can preclude calls for recounts or demands for runoff elections, giving certainty to presidential elections.
Cons
- Con 1: The Electoral College gives too much power to swing states and allows presidential elections to be decided by a handful of states.
- Con 2: The Electoral College is rooted in slavery and racism.
- Con 3: The Electoral College undermines representative democracy and the notion of one person, one vote.
Assessment quiz
1-minute survey
Discussion questions
Sources

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Map of the United States showing the number of electoral votes assigned to each state and the District of Columbia for presidential elections. Each state is labeled with its total electoral votes, such as California with 54, Texas with 40, Florida with 30, and New York with 28. The map notes that there are 538 total electoral votes, and 270 are needed to win the presidency.

Electoral College

Vote Certificate

Interactive map

Electoral College: Media

Should the Electoral College continue to be used in U.S. presidential elections?

Videos

Electoral College

Electoral College

Learn how the Electoral College elects the U.S. president.

Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Map of the United States showing the number of electoral votes assigned to each state and the District of Columbia for presidential elections. Each state is labeled with its total electoral votes, such as California with 54, Texas with 40, Florida with 30, and New York with 28. The map notes that there are 538 total electoral votes, and 270 are needed to win the presidency.

Electoral votes by U.S. state

Should the Electoral College continue to be used in U.S. presidential elections?

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Vote Certificate

Vote Certificate

State of Alabama's Certificate of Vote for the Electoral College of 2000.

Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration

Interactives

Interactive map

Interactive map

Electoral College votes by state.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.; Thumbnail © Tetra Images/Alamy

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