Issues in American

Presidential Elections

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)

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)

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"...

Election Numbers: www.270towin.com