Can someone explain the electoral college.

[Pommie]

I posted a few years ago that Americans didn't vote for the president but the electoral college but was shot down in flames. I'd like to know how the American system works.

Thanks,

Mike.

 

[jpanhalt]

I won't try to explain, but here's a link that may help: https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/about

Every other link I checked purporting to explain it was full of political bias. Some people hate the process and others think it's by design a good process. If you think about Congress or even the overall design of America, we are a republic of more or less independent states. Republic rather than democracy is the chosen descriptive. Originally, members of the House of Representatives were the only directly elected representative at the Federal level. Senators were appointed by Governors.

The Electoral College is a reflection of both. Times have changed, particularly after our Civil War with more federalization, less state power, and popular election of Senators.

I am ambivalent about the Electoral College. It reflects our Congress. It also provides a little protection from election fraud in highly polarized districts from affecting the overall outcome. In other words, some districts may be 105% for one party by ballot stuffing, but that does not affect the final result from the whole state. Our states have a say in how the electors are apportioned based on the popular vote. Most are all or nothing, but two states are proportionate: https://www.archives.gov/electoral-...o States, Nebraska and,and both split in 2020). It has not always been that way.

 

[ronsimpson]

Of the 58 presidential elections, 53 of the winners took both the Electoral College and the popular vote. But in five incredibly close elections—including those for two of the past three presidents—the winner of the Electoral College was in fact the loser of the popular vote.

Donald Trump (2016), George W. Bush (2000), Benjamin Harrison (1888), Rutherford B. Hayes (1876), John Quincy Adams (1824)​