Electoral states...

Not sure I have that right...electoral "college" maybe? I'm not too political, so bear with me. If I am correct, and I may not be....it was used years ago because of the lack of populace in some of the states...but that's just not so anymore...so why do we still have it?

EDITED because apparently, I can't type worth crap tonight!

[edit on 10/31/2004 by LadyV]

So elections can be manipulated I started a thread on this awhile back. Ill dig up the link and post it. There is alot of info on that thread

Here is that link

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Enjoy

Without the Electoral College, with the vote based on majority rule, it would be possible to win a strict majority of votes located in a few geographically restricted areas of the country. One could campaign and win in only the 10 largest cities in the country. This would allow a candidate to focus resources, time, and political capital in winning the greatest numbers of voters in the cities.




en.wikipedia.org...

Thank you....I'm gonna go read..

Originally posted by Elron1024
One could campaign and win in only the 10 largest cities in the country. This would allow a candidate to focus resources, time, and political capital in winning the greatest numbers of voters in the cities.

I dont think that is relavant now. The poipulation is such that the popular vote should be counted. Personally, I dont think that people vote based on a president coming to your home town and blathering on about what hes going to do for you. I think people make an informed decision on thier presidential choice. Count the popular votes and we will have a true Democracy. Untill then, we are sociocapitilistic country in the guise of a democratic society.

Originally posted by Kidfinger

Originally posted by Elron1024
One could campaign and win in only the 10 largest cities in the country. This would allow a candidate to focus resources, time, and political capital in winning the greatest numbers of voters in the cities.

I dont think that is relavant now. The poipulation is such that the popular vote should be counted. Personally, I dont think that people vote based on a president coming to your home town and blathering on about what hes going to do for you. I think people make an informed decision on thier presidential choice. Count the popular votes and we will have a true Democracy. Untill then, we are sociocapitilistic country in the guise of a democratic society.

Nope, not right. The problem that stems from a popular vote is not that all people are not counted as a majority. The people from Nebraska could care less about taking homless people in NY off the street ( and spending their tax money to do it ) but more concerned about the crop in the field. The electoral college minimizes the effect of everyone in LA, NY and other large cities voting for the good of the "REPUBLIC".

Actually your vote does not mean jack sh**. Here is why..........
Each State is allocated a number of Electors equal to the number of its U.S. Senators (always 2) plus the number of its U.S. Representatives (which may change each decade according to the size of each State's population as determined in the Census).
The political parties (or independent candidates) in each State submit to the State's chief election official a list of individuals pledged to their candidate for president and equal in number to the State's electoral vote. Usually, the major political parties select these individuals either in their State party conventions or through appointment by their State party leaders while third parties and independent candidates merely designate theirs.
Members of Congress and employees of the federal government are prohibited from serving as an Elector in order to maintain the balance between the legislative and executive branches of the federal government.
After their caucuses and primaries, the major parties nominate their candidates for president and vice president in their national conventions
traditionally held in the summer preceding the election. (Third parties and independent candidates follow different procedures according to the individual State laws). The names of the duly nominated candidates are then officially submitted to each State's chief election official so that they might appear on the general election ballot.

On the Tuesday following the first Monday of November in years divisible by four, the people in each State cast their ballots for the party slate of Electors representing their choice for president and vice president (although as a matter of practice, general election ballots normally say "Electors for" each set of candidates rather than list the individual Electors on each slate).
Whichever party slate wins the most popular votes in the State becomes that State's Electors-so that, in effect, whichever presidential ticket gets the most popular votes in a State wins all the Electors of that State. [The two exceptions to this are Maine and Nebraska where two Electors are chosen by statewide popular vote and the remainder by the popular vote within each Congressional district].
On the Monday following the second Wednesday of December (as established in federal law) each State's Electors meet in their respective State capitals and cast their electoral votes-one for president and one for vice president.
In order to prevent Electors from voting only for "favorite sons" of their home State, at least one of their votes must be for a person from outside their State (though this is seldom a problem since the parties have consistently nominated presidential and vice presidential candidates from different States).
The electoral votes are then sealed and transmitted from each State to the President of the Senate who, on the following January 6, opens and reads them before both houses of the Congress.
The candidate for president with the most electoral votes, provided that it is an absolute majority (one over half of the total), is declared president. Similarly, the vice presidential candidate with the absolute majority of electoral votes is declared vice president.
In the event no one obtains an absolute majority of electoral votes for president, the U.S. House of Representatives (as the chamber closest to the people) selects the president from among the top three contenders with each State casting only one vote and an absolute majority of the States being required to elect. Similarly, if no one obtains an absolute majority for vice president, then the U.S. Senate makes the selection from among the top two contenders for that office.
At noon on January 20, the duly elected president and vice president are sworn into office.

BUT the bottom line is the collage may vote for whom ever they see fit regardless of majority vote.

Oh "Electors for" do NOT have to vote for that candidate. NOW that would be a "conspiracy".

wheew


[edit on 10/31/2004 by just_a_pilot]

[edit on 10/31/2004 by just_a_pilot]