The United States is not a direct democracy. Our nation selects its president not through the popular vote but rather through the Electoral College. The Electoral College and its machinations became nationally prominent during the 2000 presidential election when Democratic Candidate Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the election because he lost the Electoral College (Toren). This paper will outline the history of the Electoral College and analyze its workings in order to determine whether or not it is a viable method to choose a president. We will discover that although the system appears cumbersome, it remains the best way to choose the U.S. president.
The Electoral College, and not the popular vote, determines the winner of the presidential election. The Electoral College, as it operates today, allocates to each state a number of electors which reflects the number of Senators and Representatives that state has in the U.S. Congress. The political parties, before the election, each submit a list of electors for each state that is equal to the number of electors that state has (the District of Columbia is afforded three electors even though it has no representation in Congress). Senators, Congressmen, and federal employees are barred from being electors. These electors are typically selected by the particular stateÆs political party. After the election returns are certified in a state, whichever party wins the popular vote in that state determines what electors will represent that state. As dictated by federal law, on the Monday that follows the second Wednesday in December each state convenes its electors at their State capitols and the electors each cast one vote for president and one vote for vice-president. The results are sealed and delivered to the President of the U.S. Senate, who announces the results officially on January 6. The Electoral College is thus a hybrid system in which the popular vote within e...