ELECTION 2008
LESSON 2
The Electoral Process
TOOLS NEEDED
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L esson 2 Worksheet #1,
one per student
Lesson 2 Worksheet #2,
one per student
Access to today’s
New York Times
OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of this lesson, students will be able to:
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analyze the steps to electing the president of the United States
monitor the election predictions and results state by state
identify the pros and cons of the Electoral College
argue for or against the Electoral College in a persuasive essay
WARM-UP
VOCABULARY
battleground state
caucus
direct election
Electoral College
electors
delegates
popular vote
primary
projected winner
swing state
winner-take-all system
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Ask:
1. How is the president of the United States elected?
2. Briefly review the electoral system as is appropriate for your curriculum, making
sure to include concepts such as “Electoral College,” “winner-take-all,” “swing”
or “battleground state,” “projected winner,” etc. (For information on the Electoral
College see The New York Times “Times Topics: Electoral College,” online at
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/e/electoral_
college/index.html and “How Stuff Works: The Electoral College,” online at
http://people.howstuffworks.com/electoral-college.htm.)
Ask:
1. Why do we have the Electoral College system, and how does it drive the election
process?
2. What is the difference between the Electoral College vote and the popular vote?
3. Why do some states receive more attention than others when it comes to the
Electoral College?
USING TODAY’S NEW YORK TIMES
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nnounce to students that they will be tracking election coverage and developments
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in a number of different states throughout the U.S. during the election season.
Assign a different state to each student (or pair of students, depending on the size
of your class).
Distribute copies of Lesson 2 Worksheet #1.
Go over the worksheet with students and explain that they will be filling in their sheets
and reporting to the class on the latest developments over the upcoming weeks.
Provide access to today’s New York Times.
To go beyond today’s news, provide students with access to or resources from
The New York Times Election Guide 2008 (http://politics.nytimes.com/electionguide/2008/index.html) and The Caucus, The New York Times political blog
(http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com).
Have students get started on their worksheets using The New York Times. For a
quick electoral map reference, see the Federal Election Commission’s page on
electoral distribution (http://www.fec.gov/pages/elecvote.htm). Note the total
electoral vote (538) as well as the number of electoral votes needed to elect (270).
Before the end of the period, distribute Lesson 2 Worksheet #2.
>>>
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ELECTION 2008
LESSON 2
The Electoral Process
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ave students choose a position to argue and then write three reasons why they
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support this position in an essay.
Have students add information from The Times to support their positions.
HOMEWORK
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ave students complete a first draft of their essays using the persuasive essay
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started in class. If time allows, have students research sources to support their
arguments with statistics, quotations and examples. Most textbooks about
U.S. government and many political Web sites offer different points of view on
the Electoral College. See the PBS Editorial Report (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/
journaleditorialreport/102904/proscons1.html) and The New York Times “Times
Topics: Electoral College” (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/
subjects/e/electoral_college/index.html) for examples.
EXTENSIONS
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T o make this assignment more challenging, offer students the option of supporting
an alternative electoral system in a persuasive essay (e.g., proportional
representation or instant run-off voting).
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hallenge students to a New York Times Learning Network crossword puzzle on the
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electoral process (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/xwords/19991101.
html). Then, have students create a “How It Works” poster about the presidential
election process. The poster should include a description of the primary and general
elections, the Electoral College and what happens in the event of a contested result.
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s a school-wide project, have students set up a system based on the Electoral
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College to vote on school issues. Base the number of electors on the number of
students in each class. Take the popular vote in each class, and then have the
electors cast their votes. If possible, have students vote on several issues to
determine if the electoral vote ever overrides the popular.
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T he basic process of selecting the president of the United States is spelled out
in the U.S. Constitution, and has been modified by different amendments over
the years. Have students trace the election-related changes to the Constitution
on a timeline. See the Federal Government Archives page on the Electoral College
and the Constitution (http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/
provisions.html).
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Are electors obligated to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state? Have
any ever voted for candidates who did not win the popular vote? Have students use
history texts to research different examples of “faithless” electors throughout history.
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ave students compare the electoral process in the United States to that in another
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democracy in a chart or comparative essay. See The Project for Global Democracy
and Human Rights page on proportional representation (http://www.worldpolicy.
org/projects/globalrights/prindex.html) and the Center for Democracy and Voting’s
page on instant runoff voting (http://www.fairvote.org/irv/whatis2.htm) for more
information.
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ELECTION 2008
Student Activity Sheet #1
Monitoring the Election State-By-State
LESSON 2: The Electoral Process
Name______________________________________________________________DATE_____________________________
STATE: ____________________________________________________________
POPULATION: __________ # OF ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES:_____________
Read The New York Times every day for the latest information on election developments in your state. Update this
worksheet on a weekly basis between now and Election Day.
1. Which presidential candidates have campaigned in my state this election season?
Candidate: _____________________________________________________
When and where? Note the article headline(s), location(s) and date(s):
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Candidate: _____________________________________________________
When and where? Note the article headline(s), location(s) and date(s):
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What are the latest poll results for the presidential candidates in my state?
Result: _ _______________________________________________________
Headline(s) and date(s): ________________________________________________________________________________
3. Who is the predicted winner in my state?
Candidate: _____________________________________________________
Headline(s) and date(s): ________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence or reason(s) given for this prediction: _____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What are the final election results in my state?
Popular votes:
Democratic: ___________________ Republican: _____________________
Electoral votes:
Democratic: ___________________ Republican: _____________________
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ELECTION 2008
Student Activity Sheet #2
Persuasive Essay on Electoral College
LESSON 2: The Electoral Process
Name______________________________________________________________DATE_____________________________
What is your opinion on the Electoral College system? Is this form of indirect voting an integral part of the American
democracy, or is it an outdated system in need of an overhaul? Organize your thoughts below, and then expand on
them in a persuasive essay for homework.
WRITING A PERSUASIVE ESSAY ON THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM
I. Start with an opinion
Use “we” rather than “I” to make the audience believe you represent a consensus
We should keep/abolish the Electoral College, because it’s _________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________.
II. Support your opinion
Find three good reasons to support your opinion (and cite any related information from The New York Times)
Three reasons why we should keep/abolish the Electoral College are:
1. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
(New York Times headline and date____________________________________________________________________ )
2. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
(New York Times headline and date____________________________________________________________________ )
3. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
(New York Times headline and date____________________________________________________________________ )
III. Address an opposing argument
Strengthen your argument by introducing and refuting an opposing argument
Some might argue that the Electoral College is/has_ ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________.
However, the Electoral College__________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________.
IV. Write a five-paragraph persuasive essay
• Expand your opinion into a thesis statement for your introductory paragraph
• Develop your reasons into three paragraphs
• Incorporate the opposing argument and your refutation of it in a concluding paragraph
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