Study Guide – Quiz on Wed. Oct. 22
--Seventh
Grade S.S. Ms. Krawetz
Electoral Vote and the Popular Vote
The Electoral College consists
of 538 representatives who
select the President and Vice
President. To win in a
presidential election, a
majority of 270 electoral
votes, is required.
When you vote for a
presidential candidate you are
really voting to instruct
electors from your state how to
cast their votes for “your”
candidate. Electors "pledge"
to vote for your candidate.
The candidate who wins the
popular vote in a state wins
“all” the electoral votes of
that state. (Majority takes
all!) The term, popular vote,
is the total number of
individual votes cast for one
*Study this page
candidate. It is possible to
win the popular vote in a
national election in, but lose
in the electoral vote count.
Such is the case in the 2000
election when Al Gore lost to
George Bush in electoral votes,
but won in popular votes.
Each state is allocated a
number of electors equal to the
number of its U.S.
Representatives plus its two
U.S. Senators in Congress. In
Minnesota, the total electoral
votes is, ten. (Minnesota has
two members in the U.S. Senate
and eight members in the House
of Representative.) Washington,
D.C. receives 3 electoral
votes, equal to the number held
by the smallest states.
The 2008 Swing states are: PA, VA, OH, IN, FL, MI, MN, CO, MT,
NV, NM and NC.
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GRAPHIC ORGANIZER: Look at your notes form this class
presentation.
Term
Electoral Collage
Electoral Vote
Popular Vote
What states have the
largest electoral count?
–List the top 5
How many Electoral Votes
does MN have? How do the
votes break down?
Definition or Question
How is it possible that
a presidential candidate
can win the popular
vote, but lose the
electoral vote?
Your Opinion: What are
the pros and cons of the
Electoral College
System?
Essay Questions:
these questions…
*Think about how you’ll answers
1. What is voter apathy? What groups of people have
felt so disinterested in the voting process and
why?
2. Explain what the Electoral College is and what
the pros and cons are of this system as compared to
having a popular election in our country. Discuss
how is the Electoral College Map and voting
patterns are impacting this year’s election?
Voting Vocabulary
Seventh Grade Social Studies, Ms. Krawetz
1. Democracy: A government of the people, by the people, and for the
people.
2. Fifteenth Amendment: This amendment, passed in1870, guaranteed that
a [male] citizen may not be prevented from voting because of his race,
color, or previous condition of servitude such as slavery.
3. Issues: Important topics to voters like education, health care, or the war.
4. Media: News coverage that communicates issues or events to public.
“The media reported on the presidential debate.”
5. Mudslinging: Making bad remarks about an opponent. “The candidate
stayed out of the mudslinging, stuck to her issues and won the election.”
6. Nineteenth Amendment: This amendment that passed in 1920, gave
women the right to vote.
7. Poll: The place where votes are cast. Also a survey.
8. Spinning: Slanting information to show a candidate’s or politician’s best
side. “The candidate was spinning her message and not giving a direct
answer to the question.”
9. Stumping: When political candidates travel around to different towns and
make political speeches. In the “olden days” they actually sat on tree
stumps. “The candidate stumped in Iowa to try to gain more votes.”
10. Suffrage Movement: A group that supported the right to vote, especially
for women. Suffrage means the “right” to vote. (Also: suffragette or
suffragist.) “Alice Paul, one of the leaders of the suffrage movement,
sacrificed a lot so that women would win the right to vote.”
11. Swing State: A swing state, or “battleground state,” in a presidential
election is a state with no candidate having an overwhelming majority of
support. The 2008 Swing states are: PA, VA, OH, IN, FL, MI, MN, CO,
MT, NV, NM and NC.
12. Voter Apathy: Lack of interest in voting, especially among people in their
twenties.
13. Voter Registration: Process of officially enrolling citizens in the voting
process. The 18 year old went to voter registration so she could vote for
the first time. **In MN, voters must establish residency for 20 days in order
to vote in a presidential election.