Issues in American

Presidential Elections

The Electoral College

Established by the Constitutional Convention in 1787,
it was a compromise that satisfied many competing interests.

While it has evolved a little over time, here's how it works today:

• In most states, each political party chooses its Electors
  • (# of Senators + # of House members = # of Electors)
• When voters choose a presidential candidate on their ballot, what they're really choosing is the Electors from that candidate's party
• When the election results are calculated, the party that won the majority gets to put forth their Electors who typically vote for the candidate of that party (though that is not required by the Constitution)

Elections in which the winner of the popular vote lost the electoral vote:

• 1824 - John Quincy Adams

• 1876 - Rutherford B. Hayes

  • Popular vote = RBH (4,036,298); Samuel J. Tilden (4,300,590)
  • Electoral vote = RBH (185); SJT (184)
    • 20 Electoral votes in 4 southern states were in dispute
    • Hayes promised to remove federal troops from the South to win support, ending Reconstruction

• 1888 - Benjamin Harrison

  • Popular vote = BH (5,439,853); Grover Cleveland (5,540,309)
  • Electoral vote = BH (233); GC (168)

More elections in which the winner of the popular vote lost the electoral vote:

• 2000 - George W. Bush

  • Popular vote = GWB (50,456,062); Al Gore (50,996,582)
  • Electoral vote = GWB (271); AG (266)
    • Came down to 25 Electoral votes in FL
    • Disputed ballots led to recount which was halted by FL Attorney General; decision upheld by Supreme Court

• 2016 - Donald Trump

• Popular vote = DT (62,980,160); Hillary R. Clinton (65,845,063)
• Electoral vote = DT (304); HRC (227)
  • Most polls & media outlets predicted a win for HRC
  • "Russian meddling"...

Gerrymandering

Questions about gerrymandering?

Questions about
voter identification laws?

Questions about
election polling?

Sources

Election Numbers: www.270towin.com

The Redistricting Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh4qAJDUOcc (via ProPublica)