Like previously stated the Electoral College system has changed little since it was created. However, the process of selecting the electors has changed. You may be surprised to learn but, the process of becoming an elector does not work the same in every state. However, there are two common ways that an elector is chosen.
One way to become an elector is to be nominated by a state party committee. This may occur to reward someone for many years of service to a particular party. The second way an elector is chosen is by an elector to campaign for the elector spot. The decision to choose an elector is then made during a vote, which is usually held at a state party convention.
So, now that you understand the process of choosing an elector, you may be wondering if these individuals are required to have any qualifications. The answer to this is no. This is because the United States Constitution contains very little information pertaining to the qualifications of electors. All the constitution states is what an elector can not be. An elector can not be any of the three following things. He or she can not be a Representative or Senator, a high-ranking United States official in a position of “trust or profit,” or someone who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the United States.
So, who exactly are these electors that get nominated to vote in their assigned post?
These people are usually highly active in their political party of choice. They could also be a individuals that are activists, party leaders, or even have ties (which could be political and/or personal) to the Presidential candidates.
Once nominated, these electors meet in each State one the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. A majority vote of 270 electoral votes will decide the next President and Vice President.
If no presidential candidate wins the majority of the elector votes, the 12th Amendment of the Constitution will then take over. The 12th Amendment states that the presidential election will then be decided by the House of Representatives. The House would then select the next president by majority vote out of the three candidates that had the most electoral votes.
It is important to note that 48 out of the 50 states use a system known as a “winner-take-all system.”
In this system the final electors are decided on voting day. In many states the names of the electors are printed somewhere on the ballot. Their names could be listed right under the names of the presidential candidates’ names. Sometimes names are not listed at all. When this happens, a vote for a presidential candidate is a vote for the elector of that party, since the electors are nominated by the parties themselves. This is how the “winner-take-all system” works.
The other system is know as the “district system” and is only used by Maine and Nebraska. Kevin Bonsor explains this process by saying that “in these states, two electors' votes are made based on the candidate who received the most votes statewide. The remaining electoral votes go by congressional districts, awarding the vote to the candidate who received the most votes in each district” (How Stuff Works, 2008).
Keep in mind that in the “winner-take-all” states there have been instances where electors have voted opposite of the people’s decision. This action is completely legal and although it has been a rare event, it has happened. You can take a look at a listing of States that are bound by State law to vote for specific candidate by clicking here.
Updated: Sunday, 29 June 2008 8:05 PM EDT
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