Introduction
The presidency in the United States is decided by both the Electoral College and the national popular votes. The Electoral College is a team of intermediaries designated by the Constitution to appoint the president and the vice president of America. The United States’ founding fathers created it as an alternative to voting for the president by Congress or general election results. All fifty states in the U.S. select to the Electoral College several delegates that are equivalent to its number of congress members alongside its number of representatives in the lower house. There is no voting representation in the District of Columbia’s Congress, so three Electoral College votes are allocated. Presently, there are 538 electors in the Electoral College, and 270 votes are needed for the presidential candidate to be declared the winner of elections in America. The Electoral College is key in shaping presidential candidates’ campaigning strategies and tactics.
How the Electoral College Works
The election process in the United States is quite different from most democratic nations worldwide. American citizens do not elect their president and vice president directly. As they head to cast their votes, they select a group called electors, who then vote for the president and vice president on behalf of the citizens. Constitutionally, the Electoral College comprises the electors who are 538 in number, corresponding to the three electors from the District of Columbia, 435 members of the House of Representatives, and 100 senators. A majority of 270 electors produce the president. If no presidential candidate attains this number, the Constitution provides a provision for the House of Representatives to elect the next president. Since the United States Constitution was drafted, this has never happened in the country’s history.
In the United States, a president wins presidential elections when they obtain 270 votes out of the 538 votes cast. However, these votes are less significant in determining the presidential winner since the results of the elections are determined by the electors’ votes in the Electoral College. For instance, the newsroom announced Obama as the president-elect during the 2008 elections before the Electoral College converged to cast its votes. The news media outlets did this since Obama had garnered over 270 electors. In cases where no presidential candidate gets the 270 votes threshold, the members of the House of Representatives vote to choose the president. The candidate who garners the highest number of votes from this house becomes the winner of the elections. If the same occurs for the president’s vice, members of the Senate vote, whereby the vice president with the most votes cast becomes the victor.
Essentially, the Electoral College was instituted to ensure that all U.S. states have the opportunity to determine the presidential outcomes. Usually, a president could garner all the votes cast in the general elections but fail to be declared the winner due to the electoral outcome. A good illustration of this occurred in the general elections held in 2000 in the stiff contest between George Bush and Gore. Following the Electoral College outcomes, Bush won the elections despite Gore having the popular vote. Another example was the stiff competition between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Even though Hillary Clinton had the popular vote, Trump was declared the president since Hillary did not win the Electoral College.
The electors in the Electoral College are selected based on the popular vote a specific presidential contender gets within a particular state. For example, in regions where most Americans voted for Biden, the electors selected to vote for him in the Electoral College were Democrats. Furthermore, the number of electors chosen from every state in the U.S. is built on its total membership in the congressional representation. Both houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate, which constitute the Congress, influence the number of electors a state gives. Thus, two electors are given for a senator, while one elector is provided for one member in the House of Representatives. That occurs across all of the states in the United States, except for Maine and Nebraska. The contender with more than half of the votes cast in these two states obtains one elector for the senator. The others are chosen from the congressional district rather than the representatives.
Each presidential candidate in America has their chosen electors in each state. The selection process and the responsibilities of the electors vary across different states. Generally, most electors are leaders of political parties, government officials, or people with good connections and bonds with presidential contenders. Their selection into the Electoral College happens during political parties’ state conventions and at different events; the party’s central committee conducts a voting session to choose them. Although the political parties choose electors affiliated with them, no federal legislation requires them to vote in favor of the candidate they represent. However, about 27 states have implemented such laws, while 24 states have different regulations. Still, they assume an elector will vote to support the party’s presidential candidate. The law requires the electors to cast their ballots on a Monday after the second Wednesday of December. After this, on the 6th of January, the Senate’s president must declare the votes cast before Congress.
Influence of the Electoral College on the Presidential Candidates’ Campaigning Strategy and Tactics
The Electoral College system influences the campaign strategies and tactics of the presidential contenders. The candidates know that to win the election, they should receive the highest number of votes from the Electoral College. That dramatically affects the states to campaign in and the topics they should emphasize. Some may spend additional time on the campaign trail in swing states and highlight issues critical to the voters in those areas. In addition, since the introduction of the Electoral College, the presidential contenders are considerate of the elections’ outcome in states rather than the popular vote. The candidates campaign intensively in all states, including those identified as strongholds of either party and most remote regions, to ensure scout as many votes as possible.
The presidential candidates should apply strategic planning as they begin their campaign in all American states to comprehend the dynamics of each state. The campaigning strategy should be aligned with the underlying issues in the different states to ensure that the campaign message addresses those needs. Moreover, they should intensify their campaigns in states where they enjoy much support and maintain their lead in their strongholds. Another factor to consider is the timing and number of visits to different areas. That will inform their decisions to visit some regions more than others, depending on the probability of winning.
Most individuals in the United States support the Electoral College since they contend that it leads to cohesiveness in the nation by supporting the distribution of general support to the president-elect. Additionally, they assert that it improves the status of minorities, contributes to the political stability of the U.S., and upholds a federal system of governance and representation. This is because both large and small states have their say in all presidential elections based on each state’s popular vote. However, the opponents of the Electoral College state that this phenomenon gives much power to the swing states and allows a handful of states to determine the presidential election. Finally, they maintain that it is rooted in racism and slavery and also that democracy must function on the will of the people, allowing one vote per registered voter.
In conclusion, the Electoral College is a body of electors who vote in the presidential and vice-presidential elections. The body comprises 538 electors from all states, chosen by their respective political parties and mandated to vote in favor of the presidential candidate who garners more than half of the votes cast in their state. For a president to be announced a winner, they should obtain a minimum of 270 votes from the electors. The Electoral College shapes a presidential contender’s campaigning tactics and strategy in that it shapes where to concentrate their campaigns and the underlying issues to address. Despite its numerous benefits, individuals against the Electoral College argue that most Americans do not get the president of their choice. On the other hand, the proponents maintain that it keeps the smaller states relevant in national politics and offers a widely accepted, clean ending to the presidential elections.