As America awaits the confirmation of results from the 2020 general election, it is important to understand the presidential election process and the Electoral College. The Electoral College can often be a tricky and difficult concept to grasp, but it is essential in determining the President and Vice President of the United States. This article hopes to explain these concepts and clarify the process.
What is the Presidential Election Process?
The U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 1) highlights that an individual must be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old, and an U.S. resident for at least 14 years to qualify to run for president. If the individual meets these requirements, he/she can start the presidential election process. The process is a long, tiresome, and expensive journey where candidates seek to gain support of the American people in all states across the country. It is important to understand that the United States President is not elected by a popular vote which would give uneven weight on issues to urban metropolises, but instead the popular vote in each state directs the actions of electors from that state.
The following paragraphs and video summarize the three main steps and provides some helpful insight into the Presidential Election process.
Step 1: Primaries and Caucuses:
According t
o the USA.gov page on the Presidential Election Process and video on How to Become President of the United States, "in primaries, individuals vote in a state election for the candidate they want to represent them in the general election." To secure votes, candidates often travel around the country and give speeches to win their party's nomination for the general election. This is displayed through rallies, advertisements, negative campaigning of opponents, and much more, to persuade individuals to vote for them.
Caucuses are events where individuals decide/select which candidate they want to represent them since multiple candidates could be campaigning for President within the same political party.
USA.gov provides a formal definition of caucuses: "Caucuses are private meetings run by political parties. Each group gives speeches supporting its candidate and tries to get others to join its group. At the end, the number of voters in each group determines how many delegates the candidate has won." During the caucuses, one candidate from each political party will be chosen to represent them.
Furthermore, primaries and caucuses can either be closed or open. During an open primary/caucus, voters can vote for a candidate of any political party. A closed primary/caucus means that an individual can only vote for a candidate under the political party for which they are registered.
Step 2: National Conventions and the General Election
National Conventions are held to garner support for the party's presidential nominee. The national conventions serve a formal way to introduce a party's presidential nominee even though the nominee is known months before due to the results of the primaries and caucuses. This is also the time where the candidates selection for vice presidential running mate is officially announced. The national conventions also allow candidates to lay out their party's platform (including any reforms and changes) and the goals/priorities of their campaign. This creates a clear picture of not only what the candidate supports, but also what can be expected from others running for House or Senate seats under a given party.
Step 3: The Electoral College
The Electoral College is a process that selects the President of the United States. Americans do not directly vote for the president, but they vote for electors that represent their state.
What is the Electoral College?
The Electoral College is the foundation and framework for voting and the selection of the President in the United States. This concept is stated in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution. The following is an excerpt from the Constitution provided by the
United States Senate:
"Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector."
The Presidential Election is the only election where the Electoral College is used; other elections use the popular vote. Voters do not directly vote for the President in the presidential election, they essentially vote for a slate of electors to vote on their behalf. The House of Representatives explains that the Electoral College is a "formal body which elects the President and Vice President of the United States." The results of the Electoral College vote determines the President and Vice President, not the popular vote of the people.
Most states adhere to the principle that winner takes all, meaning that all electoral votes go to the candidate that received the largest number of votes in that state. The "winning slate of electors" then cast their ballot for the President and Vice President. The president is elected when the Electoral College has a majority vote for a candidate, 270 electoral votes. It is possible that the candidate who wins the Electoral College may not be the individual who won the popular vote. This has happened five times in history, most recently in 2016. Once in the history of the United States, no candidate received the majority of electors votes. At this time the decision was passed to the Congress with the House of Representatives selecting the President and the Senate selecting a vice president. The National Archives has more information about this process and other election disputes and contingencies here.
Why was the Electoral College established?
The Electoral College reflects the large vs. small states debate that took place during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Large states wanted the president to be elected through a popular vote, but the small states opposed this because they were afraid a candidate representing their interests would never see office. The small states favored a concept that allowed each state to have an equal vote regardless of population size. The debate led to a compromise known as the Electoral College. This compromise enabled each state and the District of Columbia to have 2 electors regardless of size and additional electors based upon the number of representatives they were allotted according to population size (as determined by a national census every 10 years). The Electoral College ensures that a presidential candidate needs to garner nation-wide support instead of just building support in urban areas, because the election is base off of the majority of each state. EDSITEment states that if the Electoral College was eliminated, "a president would no longer be elected by the collective will of the 50 states." If the Electoral College was done away with, then individuals in rural areas might never see their votes impact the election. Candidates would likely focus time and money campaigning in larger population centers and catering to their interests. The Electoral College protects less populated states so all individuals' voices can be heard. The founding fathers wanted to safeguard democracy and ensure that Americans' voices could be heard no matter where they came from.
Additional Resources
The
National Archives provides information about the qualifications to be an elector, the selection process, restrictions, and more.
USA.gov provides definitions of Common Voting and Election terms
The
Library of Congress provides historical information over political campaigns and the persuasion techniques utilized in elections.
Share America provides an outline of the election basics, political parties, political conventions, primaries & caucuses, voting in the U.S., and much more.
The article
"The Electoral College," written by the deputy director of the FEC Office of Election Administration, provides historical insight into why the electoral college was established, the first design of the electoral college and its evolution, current workings of it, pros and cons of the electoral college, and much more.
~Emily Hancz
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