Electoral College Explained

• The Electoral College was established because the Founding Fathers were wary of the American people and Congress making the right choice for president.
• The Electoral College is a system where a candidate can win the popular vote but still lose the presidency.
• Al Gore lost to George W. Bush in 2000 despite winning the popular vote.
• Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in 2016 despite winning the popular vote.
• The Electoral College currently has 538 electors.
• Each state has one elector for each member of Congress, plus three for the District of Columbia.
• The number of votes each state is assigned is based on its population.
• In 48 states and D.C., the candidate who wins the popular vote receives all of that state's electoral votes.
• Nebraska and Maine are the exceptions, assigning two electoral votes to the overall state winner and one to the winner of each congressional district.
• A candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win the presidency.
• 270 electoral votes is a majority of the 538 total votes.
• Critics call the Electoral College undemocratic.
• Proponents claim the Electoral College ensures equal representation for citizens of less populous states.
• The Electoral College is considered an important part of American Federalist democracy.

Inauguration Ceremony

• Every four years, the US capital hosts the presidential inauguration following the election.
• In the past, the ceremony took place on the East Front Portico of the Capitol, but was moved to the West Front in 1981.
• Andrew Jackson was the first president to be inaugurated outdoors at the Capitol, taking the oath from Chief Justice John Marshall.
• The Architect of the Capital supports the inauguration in several ways, including building the platform.
• On the platform, the incoming president receives the oath of office from the Chief Justice and conducts the inaugural speech.
• The inaugural platform is constructed from scratch in slightly over 3 months for each ceremony.
• The 2009 platform was over 10,000 square feet.
• Constructed for the 2005 inauguration, the largest platform ever built held over 1,600 people on Inauguration Day.
• Bleachers above the platform on the upper West Terrace can accommodate another 1,000 people, including choirs and guests.
• So as to protect the Capitol's surfaces, the platform is built entirely of lumber and is ADA compliant.
• Stadium design maximizes sight lines for guests, and the platform blends architecturally with the US Capitol.
• After the ceremony, the entire structure is deconstructed, and the lumber is donated to local charities for housing projects.