what is popular vote vs electoral college

The process of electing the President of the United States is unique in the world, and one of the most striking features of the system is the use of the Electoral College. The Electoral College is a system in which citizens in each state cast their vote for a slate of electors who in turn vote for the President. This system is different from the popular vote, in which citizens cast their vote directly for the President. In this article, we will explore the differences between the popular vote and the Electoral College and how these differences can impact the outcome of a presidential election.

The popular vote is the total number of votes cast for a candidate by citizens in an election. It is a straightforward process, in which citizens cast their vote directly for the candidate of their choice. The candidate who receives the most votes is declared the winner. This system is used in many other countries and is considered to be a more democratic system.

The Electoral College, on the other hand, is a system in which each state is assigned a certain number of electors based on the state’s population. These electors then cast their vote for the President. The candidate who receives the majority of electoral votes, at least 270, is declared the winner. This system was established by the Framers of the Constitution as a compromise between the election of the President by Congress and the election of the President by a popular vote of citizens.

One key difference between the popular vote and the Electoral College is that the popular vote does not always align with the outcome of the Electoral College. In some cases, the candidate who wins the popular vote may not win the electoral vote, and therefore not be elected President. This has happened five times in US history, most recently in the 2016 Presidential election. This has led to some criticism of the system, as it means that the candidate who receives the most votes from citizens across the country may not be elected President.

In conclusion, the popular vote and the Electoral College are two different ways of electing the President of the United States. The popular vote is a straightforward process in which citizens cast their vote directly for the candidate of their choice, while the Electoral College is a system in which citizens in each state cast their vote for a slate of electors who in turn vote for the President. This system has been criticized for not always aligning with the outcome of the popular vote and for potentially leading to the election of a candidate who did not receive the most votes from citizens across the country.