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Dominic Carter, New York Newsman, Explains The Electoral College
Dominic Carter is a political reporter in the new york area. In this blog he explains the electoral college and why it was created.
The electoral college has gained a lot of press in the past year and is under scrutiny after last election. With Hillary Clinton winning the overall popular vote and President-elect Donald Trump winning the electoral college vote many people have been calling for reform or doing away with the electoral college vote in general.
What is It?
A group of electors are nominated in each state each presidential year. They are the ones who ultimately cast the vote for the President and Vice President of the United States based off the votes of the people in the states they are representing. They are expected to vote for what the majority of their state voted for but it is not required.
Why Was It Put Into Place?
The electoral college, along with the popular vote, were put into place so that both state and federal issues were represented in the vote and to make sure that smaller states weren't left out of the election and were still taken into account. This also keeps the vote separate from congress and helps to eliminate any political manipulation taking place in the election progress. The qualifications of the people that are elected to represent states in the electoral college is broad. As long as they are not part of the senate or part of the republic then they are allowed to be elected into the position.
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This Past Election
The 2016 electoral vote was held on December 19th and congress met on January 6th to count the electoral college votes. Some of the electors who gathered called to remove the electoral college overall and abolish it. The senate and the house then met in the house chambers and Vice President Joe Biden announced the winners of the vote. After Joe Biden announced the winners of the vote, any objections can be made to challenge either individual or state results. Objections have to be in writing and signed by both a senate and a member of the house. Although the electoral vote has been challenged many times in the past it has yet to be replaced.
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