[140], The Constitution gives each state legislature the power to decide how its state's electors are chosen[136] and it can be easier and cheaper for a state legislature to simply appoint a slate of electors than to create a legislative framework for holding elections to determine the electors. : ... : 653 For example, if there are currently 538 total votes, and all votes from a state that appointed 20 electors are rejected, a majority could be either remain as 270 votes out of 538, or be reduced to 260 votes out of 518. Alexander Hamilton. In the presidential election, each state gets a certain number of electoral votes based on its number of senators and representatives. "[46] Jefferson explained to Madison's correspondent why he was doubtful of the amendment being ratified: "the states are now so numerous that I despair of ever seeing another amendment of the constitution." New York's legislature deadlocked and abstained; North Carolina and Rhode Island had not yet ratified the Constitution. [129], The only time the Senate chose the vice president was in 1837. In some states, the electors are nominated by voters in primaries the same way other presidential candidates are nominated. As stated in the ruling, electors are acting as a functionary of the state, not the federal government. Additionally, the Twelfth Amendment states a "majority of the whole number" of senators (currently 51 of 100) is necessary for election. Democrat Barack Obama won Pennsylvania in 2008 with 55% of its vote. There are a total of 538 total electors in the Electoral College. How many Electoral College votes are needed to win? WATCH LIVE: Polis sends off Colorado National Guard to support inauguration, To begin Paton era, Elway gives up his GM office, Colorado uses balanced offense to beat Stanford 77-64, WATCH LIVE: Colorado National Guard departs for Washington, Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the Constitution, Jon Ossoff calls on David Perdue to apologize for mocking Sen. Harris' name at Macon rally. Electoral Vote: Winner: 306: Main Opponent: 232: Total/Majority: … Under the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, the Speaker of the House would become acting president until either the House selects a president or the Senate selects a vice president. On the other hand, three dissenting justices in Bush v. Gore, 531 U.S. 98 (2000), wrote: "[N]othing in Article II of the Federal Constitution frees the state legislature from the constraints in the State Constitution that created it. [25][26] Madison acknowledged that while a popular vote would be ideal, it would be difficult to get consensus on the proposal given the prevalence of slavery in the South: There was one difficulty, however of a serious nature attending an immediate choice by the people. how many electoral votes are there total us: how many electoral votes are there: how many electoral votes are there total in the nation: Prev. For example, in 2020, Georgia has 16 Electoral Votes -- this is based on the 14 members of US House, plus the two US Senators in the Peach State's delegation. Because the least populous state (Wyoming, according to the 2010 census) has three electors, D.C. cannot have more than three electors. All jurisdictions use a winner-take-all method to choose their electors, except for Maine and Nebraska, which choose one elector per congressional district and two electors for the ticket with the highest statewide vote. Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment requires a state's representation in the House of Representatives to be reduced if the state denies the right to vote to any male citizen aged 21 or older, unless on the basis of "participation in rebellion, or other crime". Whoever received a majority of votes from the electors would become president, with the person receiving the second most votes becoming vice president. [102] After the election, each state prepares seven Certificates of Ascertainment, each listing the candidates for president and vice president, their pledged electors, and the total votes each candidacy received. The district plan would have awarded him 11 of its 21 electoral votes, a 52.4% which was much closer to the popular vote percentage. New York's initial electoral vote certificate indicated that all of its 31 electoral votes for president were cast for "John L. Kerry of Massachusetts" instead of John F. Kerry, who won the popular vote … How many electoral votes does a president need to win? The resolution would go to each of the states, and once 38 of their legislatures indicate their approval, the Constitution would be considered to have been amended. It won't count in most states", "Split Electoral Votes in Maine and Nebraska", "Electoral College Instructions to State Officials", District of Columbia Certificate of Ascertainment, "U.S.C. There are 538 total electors, including one for each U.S. senator and representative and three electors representing the District of Columbia, and presidential candidates need a … William Harrison for 32 days. The race for the White House all comes down to 270 Electoral College votes. In Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board, 531 U.S. 70 (2000), a Florida Supreme Court decision was vacated (not reversed) based on McPherson. James Wilson then made a motion for electors for the purpose of choosing the president. [207], The closest the United States has come to abolishing the Electoral College occurred during the 91st Congress (1969–1971). The electors meet and vote in December and the inauguration of the president and vice president takes place in January. After the certificates from all states are read and the respective votes are counted, the presiding officer simply announces the final state of the vote. 10 that the greater the population and expanse of the Republic, the more difficulty factions would face in organizing due to such issues as sectionalism. Advocates of the current system argue that human electors would be in a better position to choose a suitable replacement than the general voting public: according to this view, electors could act decisively during the critical time interval between when ballot choices become fixed in state ballots[199] until mid-December when the electors formally cast their ballots.[200]. When you add all up the states and their electors, the total equals 538 electors in all—but how many of their votes do you need for the election? [48] So the slate of electors chosen by the state were no longer free agents, independent thinkers, or deliberative representatives. Published Agreeably to Resolve of 16th January, 1812. [137] By 1828, with the rise of Jacksonian democracy, only Delaware and South Carolina used legislative choice. [192] It was found that based on 1990 census and districting, individual voters in California, the largest state, had 3.3 times more individual power to choose a president than voters of Montana, the largest of the states allocating the minimum of three electors. ", "The Electoral College: How It Works in Contemporary Presidential Elections", "Essays on Article II: Presidential Electors", "Presidential Electors for D.C. – Twenty-third Amendment", "Millions of Americans can't vote for president because of where they live", "Puerto Rico: At the center of a political storm, but can its residents vote for president? There are 538 total electoral votes. 135–36, The present allotment of electors by state is shown in the, The number of electors allocated to each state is based on. [62], While House members for Southern states were boosted by an average of ​1⁄3,[63] a free-soil majority in the College maintained over this early republic and Antebellum period. In two states -- Nebraska and Maine -- the Electoral Votes are split. 420. Voting for president would include the widest electorate allowed in each state. [211] Debate on the proposal before the full House of Representatives ended on September 11, 1969[212] and was eventually passed with bipartisan support on September 18, 1969, by a vote of 339 to 70. [146][147] Opponents of the system, however, argue candidates might only spend time in certain battleground districts instead of the entire state and cases of gerrymandering could become exacerbated as political parties attempt to draw as many safe districts as they can. In other words, the number of electoral votes Maryland has depends on how many Representatives Maryland has in Washington, D.C. Researchers have variously attempted to measure which states' voters have the greatest impact in such an indirect election. Electoral College – For State Officials", "Congress meets to count electoral votes", "Electors seldom go rogue in casting a state's votes for president", "The one election where Faithless Electors made a difference", "Q&A: Electors almost always follow the vote in their state", "Supreme Court rules 'faithless electors' can't go rogue at Electoral College", "Opinion analysis: Court upholds 'faithless elector' laws", "How Are Electors Selected For The Electoral College? In 1800, the Democratic-Republican Party again nominated Jefferson for president and also nominated Aaron Burr for vice president. Since Wisconsin has just 10 electoral votes, even if a recount finds Trump was the winner, it'll bring Biden down to 280 votes, above the 272 threshold needed to win. With this system, the pair of candidates (running for president and vice-president) who had received the highest number of votes would win the presidency and vice presidency provided they won at least 40% of the national popular vote. Due to the 23rd amendment, Washington, D.C. has three electors, making the combined number a total of 538 electors. [29] At the compromise providing for a runoff among the top five candidates, the small states supposed that the House of Representatives, with each state delegation casting one vote, would decide most elections. The House of Representatives and the Senate will convene in a joint session of Congress on Wednesday to count the Electoral College votes from the 2020 presidential election. Relevant portions of the certificate of vote are read for each state, in alphabetical order. The table provides a list of U.S. electoral votes by state. 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