The Election of the President
The election of the president occurs
in two phases:
[1] the nomination process
[2] the general election
Both of these phases are
representative processes.
The Nomination Process
This phase involves:
• a series of state-by-state primaries
and/or caucuses [January - June]
[The purpose of this stage is to select delegates
from each state to each party’s national convention.
The process varies substantially from state-to-state
depending on whether the state uses primaries,
caucuses, or a combination of the two and on the
rules of each political party. The two major parties
use some combination of primaries and caucuses.
Minor parties may use other means to select
delegates to their national conventions depending
on state laws.]
• national conventions [July - August]
[Delegates to the major party conventions are
flexibly committed to particular presidential
candidates in proportion to the percentage of votes
each candidate received in the primaries/caucuses.
The primary purpose of the convention is to
nominate the party’s presidential and vicepresidential candidates. Additionally, the national
conventions finalize and adopt their parties
platforms.]
The General Election
This phase involves:
• the campaign [Labor Day to Election]
• the popular vote [1st Tuesday in
November]
[Voters cast their ballots for their preferred
presidential/vice-presidential ticket but are, in fact,
voting for a slate of electors who are politically
committed to cast their electoral votes in a fashion
consistent with the popular vote.]
• the Electoral College vote [December]
[Electors meet in their respective States to cast
electoral votes. The votes are sealed and sent to
the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.]
• canvassing the Elecetoral vote
[January]
[The House of Representatives counts the electoral
votes for President and verifies the winner. The
Senate counts the votes for vice-president and
verifies the winner.]
More on the Electoral
College Vote
History of the Electoral College
• constitutional requirements
• framers’ intent
-mechanical failure of the institution
-the 12th Amendment
-philosophical failure
• the development of the ‘unit rule’
• criticisms of the Electoral College
-the ‘faithless’ elector
-one candidate wins the popular vote,
another wins the electoral vote
• defense of the Electoral College
-political controls on electors
-the ‘unit rule’ exaggerates or magnifies
popular vote; provides mandate
1996 Electoral Vote
Perot
0%
Dole
30%
Clinton
70%
1996 Popular
Popular Vote
1996
Vote
Perot
8%
Dole
42%
Others
1%
Clinton
49%
1996 Presidential Election Results
STATE
ELECTORAL
VOTES
Kentucky
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Iowa
Oregon
Mississippi
Arkansas
Kansas
Nebraska
New Mexico
Utah
West Virginia
Hawaii
Idaho
Maine
Nevada
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Alaska
Delaware
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Vermont
Washington, DC
Wyoming
Electoral
Vote Totals
CLINTON DOLE PEROT
8
8
8
7
7
7
6
6
5
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
8
0
0
7
7
0
6
0
0
5
0
5
4
0
4
0
4
4
0
3
0
0
0
3
3
0
0
8
8
0
0
7
0
6
5
0
5
0
0
4
0
4
0
0
3
0
3
3
3
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
538
375
163
0
49%
42%
8%
Popular Vote Totals