US Presidential Election: Electoral College Explained

• On November 5, 2024, Americans will vote for either Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Donald Trump.
• Winning the popular vote is important, but the presidency is secured by winning the majority of electoral votes.

Presidential Eligibility

• Presidential candidates must be natural-born U.S. citizens (U.S. citizen from birth).
• Candidates must be at least 35 years old.
• Candidates must be a U.S. resident (permanently living in the U.S.) for at least 14 years.

Political Parties and Nomination Process

• People with similar ideas usually belong to the same political party.
• The two main political parties in the U.S. are Republican and Democrat.
• Presidential hopefuls campaign nationally to win their party's nomination.
• Caucuses involve party members meeting, discussing, and voting for their preferred candidate.
• Primaries are state elections where party members vote for a candidate to represent them in the general election.
• After primaries and caucuses, each major party holds a national convention to select a Presidential nominee.
• The party's Presidential nominee then announces their choice for Vice President.

The Electoral College

• Americans elect their president and vice president through the Electoral College.
• Voters cast ballots for electors, who then vote on behalf of the states.
• If a candidate wins the popular vote in a state, that state’s electors vote for them.
• Each state gets two electoral votes for its senators, plus votes based on its number of House Representatives.
• The number of House Representatives is proportional to the state's population.
• California has 54 electoral votes due to its two senators and 52 House members.
• Smaller states have at least three electors.
• A candidate needs at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes to win the presidency.
• The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College due to a lack of trust in the American people and Congress to choose the president directly.
• The Electoral College currently consists of 538 electors.
• Each state has one elector for each member of Congress.
• The District of Columbia has three electors.
• States are assigned electoral votes based on their population.
• The Electoral College is referred to as an "Indirect Election Process".
• The number of electors each state gets is equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress.
• Each elector casts one vote following the general election.

Winner-Takes-All System

• Most states use a winner-takes-all system.
• The candidate with the majority of votes in a state gets all of its electoral votes.
• Candidates can win the presidency without winning the national popular vote.
• In 2000, George W. Bush won the presidency despite Al Gore winning the popular vote.
• Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in 2016 despite winning the popular vote.
• In 48 states and D.C., the candidate who wins the popular vote receives all of that state's electoral votes.
• Nebraska and Maine assign two electoral votes to the winner of the state's overall popular vote.
• Nebraska and Maine assign one electoral vote to the winner of each congressional district's popular vote.
• 270 electoral votes represents a majority of the 538 total electoral votes.

Arguments For and Against the Electoral College

• Some want to abolish the Electoral College because it doesn't guarantee victory for the candidate with the most votes.
• The Electoral College may deter voting, especially in states leaning heavily toward one party.
• Supporters say it ensures that less populated areas have an equal say in choosing the leader.
• Without it, candidates might focus only on populous states like California, New York, and Texas.
• There have only been five instances in US history where a candidate won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote.
• Critics of the Electoral College argue that it is undemocratic.
• Proponents of the Electoral College say it ensures equal representation for citizens of less populous states.
• Proponents consider the Electoral College an important piece of American federalist democracy.

Transition Period and Inauguration

• The winner is usually announced on election night, unless the race is very close.
• The time after the election is known as the transition period, during which the new leader selects their team.
• The new president's term begins after the inauguration ceremony, usually on January 20 of the following year.
• The newly elected President and Vice President are inaugurated on January 20th.

Inauguration Details

• The U.S. capital hosts the presidential inauguration every four years after the election.
• Andrew Jackson was the first president inaugurated outdoors at the Capitol.
• Jackson took the oath from Chief Justice John Marshall.
• The ceremony occurred on the East Front Portico.
• This began a tradition observed by most presidents until 1981.
• In 1981, inaugurations were moved to the West Front.
• The Architect of the Capital supports the inauguration in several ways behind the scenes.
• A key role for the Architect is building the platform where the president receives the oath of office and gives the inaugural speech.
• The inaugural platform is constructed from scratch, and takes slightly more than 3 months to build.
• The 2009 and 2005 platforms were both over 10,000 square feet.
• The 2005 platform was the largest ever built for an inauguration.
• On Inauguration Day the 2005 platform held more than 1,600 people.
• Bleachers were built above the platform on the upper west Terrace, and hold another 1,000 people (choirs and guests).
• The platform is built entirely of lumber.
• The platform is fully ADA Compliant.
• The platform's stadium design maximizes the sight lines for guests.
• The platform is designed to blend architecturally with the US Capitol.
• The structure is deconstructed after the inauguration.
• Each piece is taken apart carefully.
• The lumber is donated to local charities for housing projects.