On November 8th, when you cast your ballot, thinking you are voting for a president - you are not. You are actually voting for an “Elector.” An Elector is an official chosen by a political party as an intermediary between the people and the politicians. The collection of every state’s Electors is our Electoral College. Weeks after election day, when all the votes have been counted, these votes - our votes - are what chose which set of Electors cast their ballots for a presidential candidate, thereby electing our president. While a popular vote may appear simpler, the Electoral College has a deeply rooted purpose. The founding fathers of these United States feared a true democracy in which the population would directly decide governance, both …show more content…
Therefore, the Electoral College is designed to maintain the voice of the people while also putting the final say with the individuals “most capable” of determining if a candidate is fit for office. The current Electoral College is no different. The amount of Electoral College votes each state gets is determined by the amount of elected legislative representatives therein. That means each state has at least 3 Electoral College votes, as each state has at least 2 Senators and 1 Representative. The only variable that can allocate additional Electoral College votes is therefore a state’s population. For example, California has 55 electoral votes but Alaska, with a far fewer in population has 3. Electors are chosen every election year. Each political party appoints potential electors. These potential electors are typically individuals who hold official roles within the political party’s administration or have been recognized for years of loyal service. After election day, the votes in each state are