| Posted By |
Message |
MrsB12614
LIF Adult
Member since 4/14 1986 total posts
Name:
Mrs
|
Electoral college
Ok now I'm super confused. I understood the basic principle of the electoral college and how it worked but then I see that they don't actually cast their votes until mid December? How do we know then who won the state and those electoral votes on Election Day? Wouldn't we have to wait until they voted? The college is supposed to vote with the popular vote so how do they know already that this is not the case?
I saw tons of news and media that people are trying to bully the electoral college into changing votes and there is the petition online going around as well. Is that even possible?
This concept became more confusing to me than before
|
Posted 11/13/16 6:58 AM  |
| |
|
Long Island Weddings
Long Island's Largest Bridal Resource |
klingklang77
kraftwerk!
Member since 7/06 11489 total posts
Name:
Völlig losgelöst
|
Re: Electoral college
Posted by MrsB12614
Ok now I'm super confused. I understood the basic principle of the electoral college and how it worked but then I see that they don't actually cast their votes until mid December? How do we know then who won the state and those electoral votes on Election Day? Wouldn't we have to wait until they voted? The college is supposed to vote with the popular vote so how do they know already that this is not the case?
I saw tons of news and media that people are trying to bully the electoral college into changing votes and there is the petition online going around as well. Is that even possible?
This concept became more confusing to me than before
There is a fine for faithless electors (only $1,000, I think). Will it happen? Probably not, but there is a minute chance that it could.
|
| Posted 11/13/16 7:10 AM |
| |
|
MrsT809
LIF Adult
Member since 9/09 12167 total posts
Name:
|
Electoral college
It is extremely rare for them to not go with their states popular vote or just abstain from voting. Also, in about 20 states they are required by law to stock with the chosen party.
|
| Posted 11/13/16 7:30 AM |
| |
|
MrsB12614
LIF Adult
Member since 4/14 1986 total posts
Name:
Mrs
|
Electoral college
See that stuff I understand what I guess I'm not understanding is if they don't vote until December, how do we know who wins? Especially if it's not the popular vote? Like how do you win the electoral votes and not the popular vote if the college hasn't even voted? I'm just somconfused now!
Message edited 11/13/2016 8:19:13 AM.
|
| Posted 11/13/16 8:18 AM |
| |
|
Hofstra26
Love to Bake!
Member since 7/06 27915 total posts
Name:
|
Re: Electoral college
The electorates pledge to cast their votes the way the states were won so generally speaking, whoever got to 270 is in fact the next President and the votes will be cast accordingly. The electorates could choose to go against their state and if they do, upset the outcome of the election, but that's really a long shot and is unlikely to happen.
|
| Posted 11/13/16 8:27 AM |
| |
|
MrsB12614
LIF Adult
Member since 4/14 1986 total posts
Name:
Mrs
|
Re: Electoral college
Posted by Hofstra26
The electorates pledge to cast their votes the way the states were won so generally speaking, whoever got to 270 is in fact the next President and the votes will be cast accordingly. The electorates could choose to go against their state and if they do, upset the outcome of the election, but that's really a long shot and is unlikely to happen.
Ok so if a candidate won the popular vote of that state then the college votes the same way for that state and candidate?
|
| Posted 11/13/16 8:38 AM |
| |
|
FTM427
LIF Adult
Member since 1/12 1261 total posts
Name:
|
Electoral college
It's extremely rare for even one elector to go against the vote for their state. So in order for HRC to win it would mean that 42 electors (based on last numbers I saw) would need to go against their states choice. Given that it's illegal in 20 states as PP noted above...that scenario seems near impossible.
|
| Posted 11/13/16 8:48 AM |
| |
|
Hofstra26
Love to Bake!
Member since 7/06 27915 total posts
Name:
|
Re: Electoral college
Posted by MrsB12614
Posted by Hofstra26
The electorates pledge to cast their votes the way the states were won so generally speaking, whoever got to 270 is in fact the next President and the votes will be cast accordingly. The electorates could choose to go against their state and if they do, upset the outcome of the election, but that's really a long shot and is unlikely to happen.
Ok so if a candidate won the popular vote of that state then the college votes the same way for that state and candidate?
They are suppose to cast their vote for whoever won the electoral votes in their state. People are hoping the electorates flip their vote because HRC won the overall popular vote but I think that is wishful thinking.
|
| Posted 11/13/16 9:40 AM |
| |
|
ChilisWife
God Bless America
Member since 5/05 3572 total posts
Name:
A.K.
|
Re: Electoral college
I've never been a fan of the EC but I do see both sides of the issue. Yes, every person's vote would actually count equally if it were abolished. But we do risk that the needs of people in less populated states would be ignored.
I also want to point out that while HRC may have won the popular vote, that vote was based on the EC being in place. Without the EC, perhaps HRC would have spent more time campaigning in TX or DJT would have spent more in California. But since those were strongly red and blue states before voting even began, they didnt. Also bc of this, many people dont vote. No real incentive to vote red in California, right?
So we actually cant predict what the popular vote would have been if there were no EC to begin with.
|
| Posted 11/14/16 11:00 AM |
| |
|
Megs1234
LIF Infant
Member since 11/16 157 total posts
Name:
Meg
|
Re: Electoral college
Posted by ChilisWife
I've never been a fan of the EC but I do see both sides of the issue. Yes, every person's vote would actually count equally if it were abolished. But we do risk that the needs of people in less populated states would be ignored.
I also want to point out that while HRC may have won the popular vote, that vote was based on the EC being in place. Without the EC, perhaps HRC would have spent more time campaigning in TX or DJT would have spent more in California. But since those were strongly red and blue states before voting even began, they didnt. Also bc of this, many people dont vote. No real incentive to vote red in California, right?
So we actually cant predict what the popular vote would have been if there were no EC to begin with.
These are all really great points.
|
| Posted 11/14/16 11:22 AM |
| |
|
TheDivineMrsM
2 girls 4 me!
Member since 8/08 7878 total posts
Name:
Mama mama mama....
|
Re: Electoral college
Posted by ChilisWife
I've never been a fan of the EC but I do see both sides of the issue. Yes, every person's vote would actually count equally if it were abolished. But we do risk that the needs of people in less populated states would be ignored.
That's actually part of why the EC was created - it keeps one demographic from consistently taking over an election while leaving others in the dust.
|
| Posted 11/14/16 11:35 AM |
| |
|
Xelindrya
Mommy's little YouTube Star!
Member since 8/05 14470 total posts
Name:
Veronica
|
Re: Electoral college
Posted by ChilisWife
I've never been a fan of the EC but I do see both sides of the issue. Yes, every person's vote would actually count equally if it were abolished. But we do risk that the needs of people in less populated states would be ignored.
I also want to point out that while HRC may have won the popular vote, that vote was based on the EC being in place. Without the EC, perhaps HRC would have spent more time campaigning in TX or DJT would have spent more in California. But since those were strongly red and blue states before voting even began, they didnt. Also bc of this, many people dont vote. No real incentive to vote red in California, right?
So we actually cant predict what the popular vote would have been if there were no EC to begin with.
Actually.. I think you are mistaken.
Hilary won EVERY major city in Texas. Every very populated city in Texas voted blue not red. THAT is why we have a Electoral college. If it was just a popular vote then pretty much NYC, Cali and the populated areas in FL & TX would choose the presidents every single year.
The rest of the country? Pfft who cares about any of them right?
Texas is red, right? Not because of the major cities, but because of the rest of the state. The POPULAR vote when to Trump so the Electoral votes all 38 go to him.
New York is blue right? ONLY because the major cities are blue and the rest of the state? Oh well who cares about them because the state is blue, right? So even though the majority of your state voted red, the most populous areas of your state voted blue and so the POPULAR vote goes to Hilary all 29 Electoral Votes of New York's.
Electoral college is the constitutional protection for everyone who votes to count. Your state's majority votes are represented. And I've heard people say "then move" which is just crazy.
If you want to go by popular vote only then we out number NY so what TX is more important since it is 2 times larger than New York? I think that would freak a few folks out. Since even tho we have more big cities, we have a lot more open land with a lot more voters voting. But oh wait. Cali has more votes than us so they out number us so they are more important? Ok great for now for those who are blue but remember they used to be red.
The votes in Wyoming and Ohio.. They count too. So do the fine folks in Idaho and Arizona and Michigan.
Look just let people vote how they feel. KEEP the Electoral College. Yes overall she got the popular vote but that's WHY we have the Electoral College to begin with.
That's why the founder fathers made it that way.
|
| Posted 11/14/16 11:40 AM |
| |
|
