The presidential elections in the United States rely on what’s known as the Electoral College system. Once pilloried by Donald Trump, the president now says it’s “far better for the USA”. But it’s certainly not without its detractors.

The system means that even if one candidate wins significantly more votes than the other – as Hillary Clinton did against Trump in 2016 – they may not make it to the White House.

The Electoral College system has become increasingly controversial and could prove a major point of contention again when next month’s election numbers roll in.


Here’s how it works.

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President Donald Trump lost the popular vote by three million votes in 2016 but won the Electoral College.

What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is the group of people that elect the United States President and Vice President. When the public head to the polls, they aren’t actually voting directly for the presidential candidates, but for ‘electors’. Each state is allocated a certain number of electoral votes, depending on its population.


Why does the Electoral College exist?
The electoral college system was set up by the Founding Fathers of the United States in 1787. Because of the size of the country and the lack of communication available at the time, a popular vote was rejected, because it was feared people would simply vote for their local candidate, so big states would always dominate.

Who appoints the electors?
The political parties in each state appoint the electors. So, if you vote for Joe Biden and he wins the popular vote in that state, electors chosen by the Democrats will vote for him to take the presidency.

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A map showing the Electoral College system and the number of votes for each state.
In the Electoral College system, it's first to collect enough states to reach 270. Source: 270ToWin


Do electors have to vote for their party candidate?
They don’t have to, but 99 per cent of the time they do. When an elector doesn’t vote for their party candidate, they are deemed a ‘faithless elector.’ In 15 states, votes from faithless electors are removed, penalised or cancelled, but in the other states there’s no punishment for doing so. Faithless electors have never changed the result of an election.

How many electoral votes does each state have?
Every state has at least three votes. These represent the two senators and one representative in congress. Seven states, as well as Washington DC, have just three votes. California is the most populated state, so has the biggest number of electoral votes with 55, followed by Texas with 38, and New York and Florida with 29 each. In all states, apart from Nebraska and Maine, there’s a winner-take-all system. This means the candidate who wins the most votes in that state earns all of the state’s electoral college votes.

How many electoral college votes will win the Presidency?
There are 538 electors in the Electoral College. A candidate has to win 270 electoral votes, which is half of the electoral college votes plus one, to reach the White House.

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Joe Biden (left) and Kamala Harris (right)
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris make up the Democratic ticket trying to win back the White House. Source: Getty

Can someone win the popular vote but lose the election?
Yes. It’s happened in five elections in US history.

In the 2016 election Trump won 306 electoral votes to Clinton’s 232 – but Clinton amassed 65.9 million votes compared to Trump’s 63 million. Because Trump got more votes by a small margin in a few key swing states, this means he gained the electoral votes in these states, despite Clinton having more national votes overall.

The same thing happened in 2000 when Al Gore won 544,000 more votes than George W Bush, but Bush won by 271 electoral votes to 266 (one elector didn’t cast a vote).


It also happened in 1824 when Adam Jackson won the popular vote but lost the electoral college votes to John Quincy Adams, in 1876 when Samuel Tilden lost the electoral vote to Rutherford B Hayes despite winning the popular vote, and in 1888 when Benjamin Harrison got to the White House despite losing the popular vote to Grover Cleveland.

Could it happen again?
Yes, potentially. Although it’s previously only happened a handful of times, there’s a belief that as American demography changes, the electoral college vote will become more distorted. This is because in major cities, where there is usually strong Democratic support, the population is becoming more heavily concentrated. Because of the proportion of electoral college votes, this can mean that the states where most people live, such as California and Florida, are underrepresented in the electoral college. For example, one electoral vote in California represents 718,000 people – that’s three times as many voters as one electoral vote in Wyoming which represents 193,000 people.

Are there any advantages to the electoral college system?
It usually reflects the popular vote. It also means that candidates need to get a spread of votes across the country.

Will the electoral college system ever change?
Some democrats, including former Democratic presidential nominees Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, are calling for an overhaul of the system. They want to get rid of the electoral college system completely, and replace it with the popular vote, so whoever gets the most votes wins the Presidency.

However, this would mean changing the US constitution. This would require both the house and the Senate to give a two-thirds majority, as well as 38 out of 50 state assemblies to agree to it – something many experts believe is almost impossible.

Source:
https://au.news.yahoo.com/amphtml/us-election-2020-electoral-college-system-explained-073652538.html?__twitter_impression=true

So what happens when you popular votes, electoral colleges and still lost the presidency. Any explanation on the possibility of that

Learning


I was taught this in secondary then...

All the best for the winner.

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SMH! Mafo!!!

Our electoral college systems in Nigeria are;

Thugs

Boko Haram

Rigging

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Nigeria needs electoral reformation. This bag-of-rice electoral system we have is the root cause of our problems.

E

When you tell them to restructure this country to regional they insist no okay then separation should be the key

The time when the world is like this. Those whom understand the times should also understand that the South and middle belt of Nigeria in all drastic measures should seperate from the north. Now when the flowers is still sprouting up.

Remember the beast will come from United kingdom/Great Britain

So understand this and understand this well.

A certain time my parents wanted me to change from a school to another, I wept bitterly saying what about the things I missed. Unknown to me when I started the new school, I regretted not starting the new school early..


South and middle belt of Nigeria republic should not be seen as wickedness to your future. But when you start walking the path, then you will understand the path.

Let me say something, the north said they bring agriculture, and some delusion youth are believing.

While most of this thing we imported back then was sold at cheaper price, but now importation was ban check the current price.

Do not let yourself be fill with delusion

Even South kaduna can join South and middle belt of Nigeria republic


Some South and middle belt of Nigeria youth -- "we will change it, we will make Nigeria work" yet the people you said you will change are already trained soldiers ready to kill you without mercy.

Checking the happening currently will tell you, you are nothing but infidels to their eyes.

When you are told you say it's the old men that's the problem.

Well the sensible whom understand the time
And understand that United kingdom will usher in the beast

Gear up and search for Southandmiddlebeltnigeriaforum on telegram to join

Meanwhile they are some paid folks around, whom we do every possible to jeopardize this cause and they are many, many even on nairaland

Even if Nigerian adopts college electoral system, the northern states will still have high college electoral votes. The north will always have the advantage due to population

hi

All the best. Congratulations to President E-lect Biden once more.

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Again?

Who been no understand am before

Damnnn niggarrrr
Isoright
Grab my damnn weed....while i put on my intellectual cap and read between lines as i peruse through this article


Apart from smoking weed, drinking alcohol, making dope money, and banging pussy...a real niggarrr should also read to seek for knowledge

Trump is going back to Scotland whether he likes it or not.

The Electoral College is not human, but numbers. How could 55 people vote for only one candidate, does it mean not none of them could have voted for the other person in the popular votes? Electoral College is no longer fashionable, the US should accept this fact and repeal it.

The funny thing about the U.S electoral system, is that even many Americans do not understand the system.

Many of them constantly have to be re-thaught on how the processes works.

If only the electoral system was under one umbrella. But each state having their own different laws, codes and processes makes it very complex.

I was watching the news and a particular host had to ask another to explain to him how it works in some states.

But its for the best. The people who built America had a very high IQ.

Ok

The way this electoral college is designed it'd cause a big problem for the entire American electoral system in the near future if it's not reviewed

.Trump's case is just a pointer to that

Your home is incomplete without good quality furniture thats why we are here for you

Thanks for the explanation

I still prefer Donald Trump than Joe Biden

Electoral fraud happened. The democrats and elites were desperate. Supreme court is Trump's only hope.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VWCjpbnuZ0

Abeg what is the name for their INEC chairman. Since they’ve bean talking I never hear him name

hush15:
So what happens when you popular votes, electoral colleges and still lost the presidency. Any explanation on the possibility of that

Not possible. Once you get 270 from the electoral votes, the highest your opponent can get is 268.

Since 270+268 = 538 (Total electoral votes)

God bless Donald Trump

Nothing dey controversial..... Na d mail in ballot in some states trump get issues with.... We should also try d electoral college election in Nigeria it will work.... Na d mail in ballot make dem no try for 9ja oh when votes go start dey come from kano and sokoto ehn

I think this system can be good to make every state count in Nigerian election.

Nah eh! No qualms
Wetin concern me

Everyone is a main character to someone.

Thank you for this. Its really educative. The electoral college system is actually not controversial but only complicated.





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