Tom Lohdan / CC
In Canada, voters elect members to fill the 338 seats in the House of Commons. The leader of the political party who wins the most seats is then summoned by the governor general and sworn in as prime minister shortly after the election concludes.
In the United States, that’s not how the Commander In Chief is selected.
The President and Vice President are selected by 538 electors, not by a nationwide, popular vote of the American people.
Research suggests the Founders had no intention of creating a pure majority-rule democracy. Their intention was to encourage coalition-building and national campaigning.
PHASE ONE
Democracy?
- 51 popular elections every presidential election year (one in each state, one in the District of Columbia)
- Voters don’t vote for the President they want, instead they vote for a slate of presidential electors (Democrats or Republicans)
- NOTE: Minnesota and Wisconsin both have 10 Electoral Voters
PHASE TWO
538 Electors
- A President needs at least 270 votes to win the White House
ELECTORAL VOTERS (TOP 5)
California 55
Texas 38
New York, Florida 29
Pennsylvania, Illinois 20
KEY DATES
December 8th
Deadline for resolving election disputes
December 14th
Electors meet in each state and cast their ballots for President and Vice President
December 23rd
Deadline for receipt of ballots by the president of the Senate
January 6th
Congress meets to count Electoral Ballots
January 20th
Inauguration Day
