Historians Greg Yoest and Todd DePastino lead a conversation about the Electoral College, our US system for selecting the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the United States.

The Founders at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 decided created the oddball, one-of-a-kind, Electoral College as a way of NOT having one national election where the people vote for President.

Instead, since the first Presidential election of 1789, we hold 50 state elections where, most of the time, voters select Electors who have pledged themselves es to vote for a particular candidate when the Electoral College meets on the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December (December 16 in 2024).

Greg and Todd will walks through the Electoral College process, laying out its history, and exploring its quirks and eccentricities such as Faithless Electors, Unpledged Electors, Battleground States, and the odd status of Maine and Nebraska.

We’ll also open up the conversation to questions, including, “the Electoral College: Should It Stay or Should It Go?”

Below is a ChatGPT AI generated explanation of the Electoral College to use as preparation for this program:

The Electoral College Explained

The Electoral College is a unique method used to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. It was established by the Founding Fathers as a compromise between electing the president by Congress and electing the president by popular vote.

Structure and Function

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, with each state allotted a number of electors equal to its total number of Senators and Representatives in Congress. The District of Columbia is also given three electors, despite having no voting representation in Congress. To win the presidency, a candidate must secure a majority of electoral votes, which is at least 270 out of 538.

How It Works

1. State Electors: Each state has a set of electors who are chosen by the political parties. These electors are typically party loyalists or significant political figures within the state.
2. General Election: On Election Day, citizens vote for a presidential candidate. While they think they are voting directly for the president, they are actually voting for a slate of electors chosen by their candidate’s party.
3. Electoral Votes: The candidate who wins the majority of the popular vote in a state usually receives all of that state’s electoral votes (with the exceptions of Maine and Nebraska, which use a proportional system).
4. Electors Meet: In December, the electors meet in their respective states to cast their votes for President and Vice President.
5. Congress Counts Votes: The electoral votes are sent to Congress, where they are counted in a joint session in January. The candidate with the majority of electoral votes is declared the winner.

Historical Examples

1. 1800 Election: The election between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams resulted in a tie between Jefferson and his running mate Aaron Burr. The House of Representatives broke the tie, ultimately choosing Jefferson as President.
2. 1876 Election: Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden had a contested election where Tilden won the popular vote, but 20 electoral votes were disputed. A special electoral commission awarded all disputed votes to Hayes, making him the winner by one electoral vote.
3. 2000 Election: George W. Bush and Al Gore’s election was notably controversial. Gore won the popular vote, but the electoral vote hinged on the results in Florida. After a recount and a Supreme Court decision, Bush won Florida by a narrow margin, securing the presidency with 271 electoral votes to Gore’s 266.
4. 2016 Election: Donald Trump won the presidency with 304 electoral votes to Hillary Clinton’s 227, despite Clinton receiving nearly 3 million more votes nationwide. This highlighted the disparity that can occur between the popular vote and the electoral vote.

Criticisms and Defenses

Criticisms:

• Disproportionate Influence: Smaller states have disproportionately more influence per voter due to the minimum of three electors.
• Winner-Takes-All System: This system can disenfranchise voters in states where their candidate does not win the majority.
• Popular Vote Discrepancy: As seen in 2000 and 2016, a candidate can win the electoral vote while losing the popular vote.

Defenses:

• Federalism: It ensures a balance between populous and less populous states.
• Political Stability: It encourages a two-party system, which some argue contributes to political stability.
• Clear Outcomes: Typically provides a clear winner, avoiding prolonged political disputes.

The Electoral College remains a fundamental, yet contentious, component of the U.S. presidential election process, balancing federal and democratic principles in a manner that continues to provoke debate.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life and Tobacco Free Adagio Health for sponsoring this event!