Curious how the electoral college works? Try This.
Nov 4, 2024
auto_awesome
Amy Gardner, a national reporter for The Washington Post’s democracy team, dives into the complex world of the Electoral College. She breaks down how electoral votes are assigned and the critical role of swing states. Listeners will learn about the unique voting methods in Maine and Nebraska, as well as the implications of the winner-takes-all system. Gardner also discusses the certification process of electoral results, highlighting its importance for democracy and reflecting on the events of January 6th, 2021.
The Electoral College assigns electoral votes based on each state's population, significantly impacting the presidential election outcome.
The process of officially recognizing a presidential election winner involves multiple steps, culminating in a joint session of Congress.
Deep dives
Understanding the Electoral College
The Electoral College is the system employed in the United States to elect the president and vice president every four years. Comprising 538 electoral votes, the process involves electors from each state who cast their votes for the winning candidate based on popular votes. Voters in each state actually cast their ballots for electors representing their chosen party, rather than directly for the candidates. This arrangement means that to win the presidency, a candidate must obtain a majority of these electoral votes, specifically 270.
Allocation of Electoral Votes
Each state’s allotment of electoral votes corresponds to its population, determined by the number of representatives it has in the House of Representatives plus two Senate seats. States like California and Texas have significant electoral votes due to their larger populations, with California having 54 and Texas 40. However, the winner-takes-all rule in 48 states means that even a tiny majority in a state grants all its electoral votes to one candidate, making every vote crucial. Only Maine and Nebraska use a proportional distribution method, reflecting the competitiveness of their congressional districts.
Certification and Inauguration Process
The process to officially recognize a presidential election winner continues until January, culminating in a joint session of Congress. After state-level certification, electors convene in December to cast their votes, which are sent to Congress in ornate official certificates. On January 6, Congress verifies the electoral votes, and upon completion, the winning candidate is designated as president-elect, leading to their inauguration on January 20. This system highlights the distinction between the national popular vote and the Electoral College, emphasizing that the latter ultimately decides the presidency.
Remembering all the complex details of how the electoral college works is not exactly easy. And just when you’ve mastered how it all adds up, you probably won’t need to think about it again for another four years — hardly a formula for cementing something in your brain.
Aaron Blake, host of The Campaign Moment, makes an appearance on the first episode of The Washington Post’s “Try This” podcast’s three-part series on the electoral college. He explains how the system works, the complicated way electoral votes are assigned and awarded, and what happens between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Aaron is joined by Amy Gardner and “Try This” host Cristina Quinn to make the whole thing so accessible that your high school civics teacher would be proud.
Here are some resources if you’d like to dive deeper into the electoral college: