The Electoral College Explained (Decatur, Washington: how much, felony, school)

[Gerrygal]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyIFqf3XH24


"Fair and square?" Maybe I am dense, but it still does not make sense as to how any candidate with more votes than his/her opponent can still end up losing an election. I don't get it.

[bUU]

Do you "not get it", or do you "not like it"?

There's a difference.

[Iconographer]

Here's a pretty good explanation as to why it exists and what the process is:

https://www.archives.gov/federal-reg...ege/about.html

Interesting stuff here.

There is no Constitutional provision or Federal law that requires Electors to vote according to the results of the popular vote in their states. Some states require by law Electors to cast their votes according to the popular vote; some by law leave it up to the party leadership (like Georgia). So, the states fall into two categories—Electors bound by state law and those bound by pledges to political parties.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has held that the Constitution does not require that Electors be completely free to act as they choose and therefore, political parties may extract pledges from electors to vote for the parties' nominees. Some state laws provide that so-called "faithless Electors" may be subject to fines or may be disqualified for casting an invalid vote and be replaced by a substitute elector. The Supreme Court has not specifically ruled on the question of whether pledges and penalties for failure to vote as pledged may be enforced under the Constitution. No Elector has ever been prosecuted for failing to vote as pledged.

Today, it is rare for Electors to disregard the popular vote by casting their electoral vote for someone other than their party's candidate. Electors generally hold a leadership position in their party or were chosen to recognize years of loyal service to the party. Throughout our history as a nation, more than 99 percent of Electors have voted as pledged."

Here's breakdown of states that are either bound by the state or by the winning party:

ALABAMA – Party Pledge / State Law – § 17-19-2
ALASKA – Party Pledge / State Law – § 15.30.040; 15.30.070
CALIFORNIA – State Law – Elections Code § 6906
COLORADO – State Law – § 1-4-304
CONNECTICUT – State Law – § 9-175
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA – DC Pledge / DC Law – § 1-1001.08(g)
FLORIDA – Party Pledge / State Law – § 103.021(1)
HAWAII – State Law – §§ 14-26 to 14-28
MAINE – State Law – § 805
MARYLAND – State Law – § 8-505
MASSACHUSETTS – Party Pledge / State Law – Ch. 53, § 8, Supp.
MICHIGAN – State Law – §168.47 (Violation cancels vote and Elector is replaced.)
MISSISSIPPI – Party Pledge / State Law – §23-15-785(3)
MONTANA – State Law – § 13-25-304
NEBRASKA – State Law – § 32-714
NEW MEXICO – State Law – § 1-15-5 to 1-15-9 (Violation is a fourth degree felony.)
NORTH CAROLINA – State Law – § 163-212 (Violation cancels vote; elector is replaced and is subject to $500 fine.)
OHIO – State Law – § 3505.40
OKLAHOMA – State Pledge / State Law – 26, §§ 10-102; 10-109 (Violation of oath is a misdemeanor, carrying a fine of up to $1000.)
OREGON – State Pledge / State Law – § 248.355
SOUTH CAROLINA – State Pledge / State Law – § 7-19-80 (Replacement and criminal sanctions for violation.)
VERMONT – State Law – title 17, § 2732
* VIRGINIA – State Law – § 24.1-162 (Virginia statute may be advisory – “Shall be expected” to vote for nominees.)
WASHINGTON – Party Pledge / State Law – §§ 29.71.020, 29.71.040, Supp. ($1000 fine.)
WISCONSIN – State Law – § 7.75
WYOMING – State Law – §§ 22-19-106; 22-19-108

Here's an example of what can technically happen when the Electoral College convenes:

http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2016/08...-donald-trump/

[oldschoolChevy]

Its a complete crock of ***t. And they don't really explain it in civics class in school either. All by design I'm sure. What's the point of even voting then? Clearly the elite will still have the last say.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by oldschoolChevy

Its a complete crock of ***t. And they don't really explain it in civics class in school either. All by design I'm sure. What's the point of even voting then? Clearly the elite will still have the last say.

Take it up with the Founding Fathers.

[Gerrygal]

Originally Posted by bUU

Do you "not get it", or do you "not like it"?

There's a difference.

I said "I don't get it"---and I don't. Read my post.

[Gerrygal]

I found this on Google:

The United States Electoral College is the institution that elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. The President and Vice President are not elected directly by the voters. Instead, they are elected by "electors" who are chosen by popular vote on a state-by-state basis.

Now I get it.

[micstatic]

It's simple. If their were no electoral college. The candidates would offer up a campaign that would promote projects within NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami only. They wouldn't need to worry about the rest of the country and they could still get elected. It's a way of protecting people who live in smaller communities.

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by micstatic

It's simple. If their were no electoral college. The candidates would offer up a campaign that would promote projects within NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami only. They wouldn't need to worry about the rest of the country and they could still get elected. It's a way of protecting people who live in smaller communities.

Bingo. In our inception, we were by and large agrarian and very spread out. Many farmers would find it logistically impossible to access a polling place. The Electoral College was a means of inclusion for remote regions of the new nation. The Framers felt that an intermediary (the Elector) was needed to ensure that they were heard as well.

[oldschoolChevy]

Originally Posted by LovinDecatur

Take it up with the Founding Fathers.

Yeah. I'll guess I'll go dig them up and ask them
Doesn't take away from the fact that it's still a crock of ***t. And the fact that so much emphasis is placed on the popular vote, yet it really doesn't mean anything in the end just shows how much of a sham it all is. If the media didn't go around perpetuating this country is free and all that other BS it wouldn't be so bad. Just come out off jump street and call it what it really is.