Electing the President: The Electoral College
Name:____________________________________
Instructions: Use the following websites to answer the questions below in the boxes.
The Electoral Calculator: Building a Path to Victory
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2012/map/calc.html#states=lrGSpRqGAlvGnqBl
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http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/electoral-map?smid=tw-nytimes
National Archives FAQ - Historical Election Results, an Electoral College
Calculator, and More!
www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/index.html
Presents Both Sides:
http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_US_electoral_college#Small_states:
_Is_the_college_unnecessary_to_protect_small_state_interests.3F
Wikipedia on the Electoral College (Scroll down to Pro/Con at the end of article)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Electoral_College
In Favor of the Electoral College:
http://uselectionatlas.org/INFORMATION/INFORMATION/electcollege_procon.php
Opposed to the Electoral College (National Popular Vote website)
http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/
Presents Both Pro and Con (scroll down)
http://www.america.gov/st/elections08english/2008/April/20080523105932WRybakcuH0.8598596.html
Government 101: Basic Information on Electoral College
http://votesmart.org/education/electoral-college
Does My Vote Count? Understanding the Electoral College
http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4465
Missouri’s Voter Education
http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/education.asp
Federal Election Commission
http://www.fec.gov/info/election_day_links.shtml
1. Why does the U.S. have the Electoral College system?
2. Who are the electors? How are they chosen in your state?
3. What do the electors actually do? Can they vote any way they wish?
4. How many electoral votes are there? How are they divided among the states? How
many does your state have? How does your state determine how many electoral votes
each candidate will get?
5. How many electoral votes are needed to win? What if no candidate receives a
majority? Has this ever happened?
6. When and how often have the results of the Electoral College differed from the
popular vote?
7. What are the PROS of the Electoral College system? Who favors it? Whom does it
benefit?
8. What are the CONS of the Electoral College system? Who does not favor or might
like to change it?
PBS VOTE 2012: Battleground State Worksheet
Instructions: Use the tabs on this website to find important information on your state:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2012/map/calc.html#states=lrGSpRqGAlvGnqBl
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1. What state are you researching? _____________________________
2. Look at the past five presidential elections and fill out the chart below for your state.
Election Year
Winning Party
Popular Vote
(%Democrat % Republican)
2008
2004
200
1996
1992
3. What issues do you think voters across the U.S. care about in the 2012 Election?
4. Using the PBS VOTE 2012 map, find more information about your state.
a. Median Income:
b. What percentage of people in your state graduated from college?
c. What is the unemployment rate? How does the January 2012 rate differ
from the January 2009 rate? Note that President Obama took office in
January 2009.
d. How do these economic conditions (a, b, c ) influence voters?
5. What percentage of the people in your state belong to unions? What are some of the
concerns of unions?
6. What type of diversity exists in your state, Hispanic, African-American, or otherwise?
7. What percentage of the people in your state are Evangelical Protestants?
8. How might ethnicity and religion influence political affiliation?
9. Click on the tab labeled “Patchwork Nation Counties.” Find your state, and describe
the main county types. How divers/unified is your state?
10. Which way do you think your state is likely to vote in the Election 2012? Why
do you think your state will vote Democratic or Republican?