How the Electoral College Works

How the Electoral College Works

U.S. Senate Republican leaders, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (front R) attend a joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College vote from the 2008 presidential election in the U.S. Captiol January 8, 2009.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

by Kevin Bonsor & Laurie L. Dove Culture | Elections

http://people.howstuffworks.com/electoral-college.htm

Do you remember voting for the president in a mock election in elementary school or junior high? Maybe you selected your candidate at random because you didn't really know the difference between the two (or care). Well, now you're older and wiser and know that who you vote for does make a difference. Or does it?

Take the Electoral College, for instance. Every four years, on the Tuesday after the first Monday of November, millions of U.S. citizens go to local voting booths to cast a vote for the next president and vice president of their country. Their votes are recorded and counted, and the winner is declared -- unless the majority of Electoral College members vote for another candidate, of course [source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration].

Truth is, the results of the popular vote are not guaranteed to stand because the presidential election is really decided by the votes of the Electoral College. Although this could feel as though your vote is about as decisive as those of an elementary school election, the Electoral College process was actually put in place to ensure a nationwide system of fairness. When you cast your vote for president, you also vote for an often-unnamed elector who will cast a ballot in a separate election that ultimately will choose the president.

For some of us, the Electoral College process (and its outcome) may seem a bit shocking. In the 2000 U.S. presidential election, for example, more Americans voted for Gore, but Bush actually won the presidency because he was awarded the majority of Electoral College votes. It's a political upset that's occurred several times since the first U.S. presidential election; four presidents have been elected by the Electoral College after losing the popular vote.

By now you're probably wondering how -- and why -- the Electoral College began. We'll explore its historic start in the next section.

Electoral College

Electoral College casts votes for president, based on state popular vote for the Presidential campaigns.

Note: Mark S. Weiner was a 2012 elector (RI) for the Electoral College, and a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Hillary Rodham Clinton was a director at the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and is the candidate for the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.  

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, a co-chair, national finance council for the Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary), a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Robin Hood Foundation, the Climate Reality Project, the Children's Defense Fund, and the People for the American Way.

Ready PAC (Ready For Hillary) supported the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign.

Peter W. Barca was a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, and a 2012 elector (WI) for the Electoral College.

John H. Dyer was a 2012 elector (FL) for the Electoral College, and a member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.

Christopher J. Christie was a member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, the candidate for the 2016 Chris Christie presidential campaign, is an honorary chairman for the Drumthwacket Foundation, and married to Mary Pat Christie.

Mary Pat Christie is married to Christopher J. Christie, the president of the Drumthwacket Foundation, and the chair for the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

Drumthwacket Foundation maintains the governor's mansion for the New Jersey state government.

Donald Trump was a donor for the Drumthwacket Foundation, a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and is the candidate for the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign.

Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund is a relief organization for Hurricane Sandy.

Cam Henderson is an executive director for the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, was Mary Pat Christie’s chief of staff, and a finance director for the 2016 Chris Christie presidential campaign.

Robin Hood Foundation raised money for the Hurricane Sandy relief.

Emma Bloomberg was the chief of staff for the Robin Hood Foundation, and is Michael R. Bloomberg’s daughter.

Michael R. Bloomberg was a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation, is Emma Bloomberg’s father, and the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety.

Everytown for Gun Safety is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Michael A. Nutter is an advisory board member for Everytown for Gun Safety, and was a 2012 elector (PA) for the Electoral College.

Rose McKinney-James was a 2012 elector (NV) for the Electoral College, and a director at the Energy Foundation.

Rosina M. Bierbaum was a director at the Energy Foundation, and is a director at the Climate Reality Project.

Carol M. Browner was a director at the Climate Reality Project, the energy czar for the Barack Obama administration, and is a senior counselor at the Albright Stonebridge Group.

Madeleine K. Albright is a co-chairman for the Albright Stonebridge Group, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project, and was the president of the Center for National Policy.

John Freidenrich was a director at the Truman National Security Project, the chairman for the Center for National Policy, and was a 2012 elector (CA) for the Electoral College.

George Gresham was a 2012 elector (NY) for the Electoral College, and is a director at the Children's Defense Fund.

Dolores Huerta was a 2012 elector (CA) for the Electoral College, and is a director at the People for the American Way.

Carole Shields Westbrook is a director at the People for the American Way, and was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation.

Mark S. Weiner was a funder for the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and a 2012 elector (RI) for the Electoral College.

Electoral College casts votes for president, based on state popular vote for the Presidential campaigns.

Paul Thornell was a senior legislative representative for the People for the American Way, and Albert A. Gore Jr’s deputy director of legislative affairs.

Albert A. Gore Jr.’s deputy director of legislative affairs was Paul Thornell, and is the chairman for the Climate Reality Project.

Rosina M. Bierbaum is a director at the Climate Reality Project, and was a director at the Energy Foundation.

Rose McKinney-James was a director at the Energy Foundation, and a 2012 elector (NV) for the Electoral College.

Carol M. Browner was a director at the Climate Reality Project, the energy czar for the Barack Obama administration, and is a senior counselor at the Albright Stonebridge Group.

Madeleine K. Albright is a co-chairman for the Albright Stonebridge Group, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, an advisory board member for the Truman National Security Project, and was the president of the Center for National Policy.

John Freidenrich was a director at the Truman National Security Project, the chairman for the Center for National Policy, and was a 2012 elector (CA) for the Electoral College.

Scott Stringer was a 2012 elector (NY) for the Electoral College, and is the comptroller for New York (NY).

Michael R. Bloomberg was the New York (NY) mayor, a donor for the Robin Hood Foundation, is Emma Bloomberg’s father, and the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety.

Robin Hood Foundation raised money for the Hurricane Sandy relief.

Emma Bloomberg was the chief of staff for the Robin Hood Foundation, and is Michael R. Bloomberg’s daughter.

Everytown for Gun Safety is a “Gun Safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Michael A. Nutter is an advisory board member for Everytown for Gun Safety, and was a 2012 elector (PA) for the Electoral College.