On January 7th 1789, America’s first presidential election was held, when voters cast ballots to choose state electors. Only white men who owned property were allowed to vote, and as expected, George Washington won the election and was sworn into office on April 30th, 1789.
As it did in 1789, the United States still uses the Electoral College system, established by the U.S. Constitution, which today gives all American citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote for electors, who in turn vote for the president. The president and vice president are the only elected federal officials chosen by the Electoral College instead of by direct popular vote.
Today political parties usually nominate their slate of electors at their state conventions or by a vote of the party’s central state committee, with party loyalists often being picked for the job. Members of the U.S. Congress, though, can’t be electors. Each state is allowed to choose as many electors as it has senators and representatives in Congress. The District of Columbia has 3 electors. During a presidential election year, on Election Day (the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November), the electors from the party that gets the most popular votes are elected in a winner-take-all-system, with the exception of Maine and Nebraska, which allocate electors proportionally. In order to win the presidency, a candidate needs a majority of 270 electoral votes out of a possible 538.
On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December of a presidential election year, each state’s electors meet, usually in their state capitol, and simultaneously cast their ballots nationwide. This is largely ceremonial: Because electors nearly always vote with their party, presidential elections are essentially decided on Election Day. Although electors aren’t constitutionally mandated to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state, it is demanded by tradition and required by law in 26 states and the District of Columbia (in some states, violating this rule is punishable by $1,000 fine). Historically, over 99 percent of all electors have cast their ballots in line with the voters. On January 6, as a formality, the electoral votes are counted before Congress and on January 20, the commander in chief is sworn into office.
Critics of the Electoral College argue that the winner-take-all system makes it possible for a candidate to be elected president even if he gets fewer popular votes than his opponent. This happened in the elections of 1876, 1888 and 2000. However, supporters contend that if the Electoral College were done away with, heavily populated states such as California and Texas might decide every election and issues important to voters in smaller states would be ignored.
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Craig Hill 
Nice primer.
There is another factor in regard to the electoral college. So afriad of “mob rule” were the founders that they continued to refer back to the republic model and built in the fail safe of the electors. At that time, and even now to some degree, dissemination of information had it’s problems. If needed it was easier to gather a small body of people together and let them know what the “truth” was as opposed to getting the message out to the people all at once. In other words, one last “are you sure?”. We see this in the U.S. Senate when a bill comes over from the house. The adage; the Senate is “to be the saucer that cools that tea” so the Electoral College cools the popular vote. These guys were clever in many ways, this was just another example of “best practices” they took from other folks experiments in government.
Not being American, I don’t really understand the Electoral College. The insight was appreciated.
I think it is preferable to have the three levels of government (legislative, administrative and judicial) and the associated checkes and balances, than just one level or person making the rules unchecked.
My apologies. Typical American to assume everyone else is too…
One last elaboration regarding the electoral college and the three branches of government here in the U.S. The founders felt that the powers of the executive branch were equal to that of a king. While that branch is checked by the House and the Senate they were still reluctant to hand those powers to a single man without additional checks on the popular vote.
OK… one more;
One of the reasons Washington was/is considered the greatest American president is that he declined to run again for a third term. At that time there were no limits on the number of times a person could hold the office of the presidency. It;s also important to note that Washington was being pushed to “become king” right after the end of the revolutionary war. The army and a large segment of the population were very much for it. Turning down so much power is almost unheard of historically. It wouldn’t be until after FDR’s (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) death that the amendment was passed to limit the terms to two. Up until then the office holders simply followed Washingtons lead.
Thanks for a good post Craig. I enjoy your site. Cheers.
Interesting. I should look more into American politics. I already know there are some similarities between Australian and American systems, but also some stark differences, Thanks for stimulating a new interest for research 🙂