BE PREPARED…
Grab sheet from the table
HOMEWORK:
Chapter 16 Test (tomorrow)
The Electoral College
The election for President and Vice
President is not a direct election by United
States citizens…it is an indirect election
Citizens vote for electors, representing a
state, who are the authorized
constitutional participants in a presidential
election
How are Electors Chosen?
 In modern practice, states generally choose their
electors at State party conventions (usually
active in their party)
 Once chosen, the electors meet in their
respective states to cast ballots for the President
and Vice President
 The Twelfth Amendment provides for each
elector to cast one vote for President and one
vote for Vice President. It also specifies how a
President and Vice President are elected
How Many Electors Does a State Get?
Every 10 years, the Census Bureau
determines state population, which affects
the number of Representatives each state
sends to the House
Next one is in 2020
Each state’s number of electors =
# of representatives in the House + # of senators
How Many to Win?
Since 1964, there have been 538 electors in
EACH Presidential election
 A candidate must receive an absolute majority of
electoral votes …so how many electoral votes are
needed to win?
 270 to win the Presidency
If no candidate receives a majority in the
election for President, or Vice President, that
election is determined via a contingency
procedure in the 12th Amendment
Has Someone Become President
Without Receiving the Most Votes?
Yes…it has happened a few times where
the winner did not receive the most
popular votes
 Most recently – 2000 Bush over Gore
Which States Hold Power?
The six states with the most electors are
California (55), Texas (38), New York (29),
Florida (29), Illinois (20) and
Pennsylvania (20)
The seven smallest states by population —
Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming —
have 3 electors each (DC also has 3)
270towin.com
ABRAHAM
LINCOLN
Opposed the
expansion of slavery
into the territories
STEPHEN
DOUGLAS
Allow the voters of the
territories to decide on the
slavery issue (popular
sovereignty)
JOHN
BRECKINRIDGE
Opposed the
limits on slavery
JOHN
BELL
Preserve the
Union!
ELECTION OF 1860 RESULTS
Who won the
election?
Lincoln = 180
Douglas = 12
Breckinridge = 72
Bell = 39
Lincoln = 1,865,593
Douglas = 1,382,713
Breckinridge = 848,356
Bell = 592,906
Lincoln (Republican)
Douglas (N. Democrat)
Breckinridge (S. Democrat)
Bell (Constitutional Union)
LINCOLN
BELL
3
VA, KY, TN
BRECKINRIDGE
AND who won its votes?
NY - LINCOLN
LINCOLN
ON BORDER OF FREE AND SLAVE STATES
HE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT IN THE COUNTRY, JUST
NOT ENOUGH TO WIN THE STATES (WINNER TAKE ALL)
LINCOLN; 123 OTHERS TO 180 LINCOLN
SOUTH HAS VERY LITTLE POWER IN CONGRESS
BORDER STATES WANTED TO AVOID WAR; WILLING TO COMPROMISE
(NOT DEPENDENT ON SLAVERY AS MUCH AS DEEP SOUTH)
LINCOLN; MOST ELECTORAL VOTES