The Electoral College: An explanation of it and why it’s important in American elections

We’re told throughout our whole lives that the people vote to elect the president, when in reality, that’s not 100% true. Although most people have heard of the Electoral College, it can be confusing or hard to understand. In simple terms, the Electoral College is a group of people appointed by each state who formally elect the President and Vice President. 

To break it down further, the number of electors allowed per state is based on population size, which is determined by the census that occurs every ten years in the United States. For example, California has 55 electoral votes, whereas Kansas only has six due to their varying population sizes. If a candidate wins a state, they get all of the electoral votes — which is why the heavily populated states such as Texas or Florida are so crucial while campaigning. 

However, as seen in the 2016 election, a candidate can win the popular vote — each individual vote is counted instead of the electoral votes — and still lose the electoral vote. This occurs when the electoral vote is won by very small margins, winning a greater percentage of states that are less populated. 

With all of this being said, the Electoral College is an integral part of American democracy and has been for hundreds of years. While there are many opinions about abolishing the Electoral College, it’s needed for many different reasons that preserve our constitutional republic.

The system of the Electoral College allows smaller states to have representation. If there was just a popular vote, then candidates would be incentivized to only campaign in heavily populated states to reach the greatest number of people. And while less populated states such as Alaska or Montana only have three electoral votes, in a close race, every vote can be decisive in electing the next president.  

Another upside to the Electoral College is that it provides a decisive winner in the end, not putting as much strain on individual state voter recounts. If there is a discrepancy in voting, a recount can be done on the state level instead of creating a national discrepancy. 

While the Electoral College may seem a hindrance or unnecessary, it’s put in place to best protect the voice of the American people, while still providing a principled method of government.