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Does the popular vote have anything to do with the electoral college?
That’s partially correct. When citizens cast their ballots for president in the popular vote, they elect a slate of electors. Electors then cast the votes that decide who becomes president of the United States. Usually, electoral votes align with the popular vote in an election.
What are the executive powers of the president?
The Constitution explicitly assigns the president the power to sign or veto legislation, command the armed forces, ask for the written opinion of their Cabinet, convene or adjourn Congress, grant reprieves and pardons, and receive ambassadors.
How did the government determine how many electoral votes each State would receive?
Second, the “electors” from each of the 50 states gather in December and they vote for president. The formula for determining the number of votes for each state is simple: each state gets two votes for its two US Senators, and then one more additional vote for each member it has in the House of Representatives.
How does the U.S. Electoral College work?
The number of electors each state gets is equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress. A total of 538 electors form the Electoral College. Each elector casts one vote following the general election. The candidate who gets 270 votes or more wins.
What happens if no candidate receives a majority in the Electoral College?
The Constitution provides an answer for this scenario, as well. If no candidate receives a majority of Electoral votes, the House of Representatives elects the President from the 3 Presidential candidates who received the most Electoral votes. Each state delegation has one vote.
How does the Electoral College work in the United States?
The Electors. In 48 states and Washington, D.C., the winner gets all of the electoral votes for that state. This means his or her party’s electors in that state will vote in the Electoral College. Maine and Nebraska assign their electors using a proportional system called the Congressional District Method.
Who has the greatest number of votes in the Electoral College?
“The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed ….” The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors who cast votes to decide the President and Vice-President of the United States.
What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College?
Because there is now an even number of electoral votes, a tie is feasible. If that happens in the Electoral College, then the decision goes to the newly seated House of Representatives, with each state voting as a unit.