The most democratic country in the world (USA) has created a very strange electoral system. It is distinguished from other Electoral Colleges. No other state on the planet has a system of electing a leader, which is carried out in two stages. If we recall that the United States, in fact, is a union, then the Electoral College is a harmonious and reasonable phenomenon. Let's try to understand everything in detail.
Historical background to the creation of the Electoral College
We often forget the fact that the US is a union of states, each of which is, in fact, a separate state. They have their own laws, sometimes very different from each other. When work was underway on the US constitution, serious disagreements were caused by the procedure for electing the president of the association. Some believed that it should be determined by direct universal suffrage, supporters of resolving this issue in Congress argued with them. The framers of the constitution in 1878 found a compromise formula. They proposed the creation of a special body, called it "Electoral College". Each state was given the opportunity to influence the choice of the president. The fact is that the United States consists of different areas andthe population of the "countries". With direct voting, a clear advantage is for those states in which there are more citizens. Sparsely populated territories, in general, in this case do not affect the choice of the head of the country. And it was considered unfair. That is, the Electoral College is designed to equalize the chances of the population of each of the states to be heard. Now the opinion of every citizen is taken into account in the process of determining the President of the United States.
Who are the electors?
The two largest parties nominate candidates for the presidency. In each state, the functionaries of these political organizations form a list of people who will represent the state entity in the general plebiscite. The electors select public figures, famous people and businessmen. Often parties include in their list those who are close to a candidate. At the time of the popular vote, there are two lists with electors. They will receive rights from the state after the list is approved by the governor. This official must sign the proposal of the party whose candidate won the popular vote. If an independent contender for the presidency comes forward, then the list is formed in the manner prescribed by state law. By the way, there are no special restrictions on candidates for electors. You must have a US citizen passport, be loyal to a particular party.
State Representation in the College
The number of electors from each part of the United States is equal to the representation in Congress. And this, inin turn, is determined in proportion to the number of people living in the state. For example, California is the most densely populated territory. From her, fifty-five people are included in the college, as many as they elect to Congress. In turn, the parliament in the United States is bipartisan. Each state has two seats in the Senate, and fifty-three in the House of Representatives. The number of state delegates in this part of Congress is determined in proportion to the population. Thus, the Electoral College is a special body created to determine the President of the United States for the next term. Its members work only one day. Their work is not officially paid. The party independently determines how to encourage its representatives.
US Electoral College Rules
The states determine the candidate for the highest office in the country during the popular vote. But the person who formally won this stage is not recognized as the president. For example, this was the case when Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump fought. The Electoral College could overrule the people's vote, in theory. Democratic supporters have made a lot of efforts for this. The fact is that there is no law obliging electors to fulfill the will of the people. They receive a mandate from the state, determined by a vote, but they themselves can express any opinion. There were such precedents in the history of the country, but the election results were not affected. People who vote against the people during the collegium are called "unscrupulous electors." For example, in 2000 the district representativeColumbia turned in a blank ballot, although he was obliged to write Al Gore on it. All states except Maine and Nebraska cast all electoral votes for the winning candidate. These territorial entities distribute them in proportion to the results of the people's will.
US Electoral College: Voting Process
The meeting of the body itself is held on the forty-first day after the first Monday in November, when the popular vote is held. The Electoral College does not meet together. Each state organizes the voting of its representatives separately. The results will be made public immediately. The Electoral College vote is by secret ballot. Each member of the representative body is required to fill out two ballots, they contain the names of candidates for the posts of president and vice president. To win, a simple majority of votes is enough, now they need to get more than 270. The whole country is watching the vote. For example, the Electoral College in the United States (2016) operated under very difficult conditions. State representatives were pressured by ordinary citizens who did not want to accept the victory of Donald Trump. They called and sent threatening letters. Nevertheless, Hillary Clinton turned out to have more “unscrupulous electors”, which surprised the public. Prior to the board meeting, no facts of pressure on its members from the opposite side (Trump fans) were reported.
Punishment for bad faith
The electors are appointed by the state, they are carried in front of itthese people are responsible. By the way, control is carried out immediately after voting. Ballots are taken out for counting and they see how the elected representatives of the people have worked. Twenty-eight states, as well as the District of Columbia, have passed laws that fine unscrupulous electors the ridiculous amount of $1,000. In the rest of the US, there are no pen alties. By the way, the facts of the application of these laws are also not recorded. In fact, electors have the opportunity to vote at their discretion, without risking anything.
Exceptional cases
The legislators have foreseen situations when the collegium will not be able to determine the president. This happens if the candidates get the same number of votes. This happened in 1800. Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr then fought for the chair of the leader of the state. When the US presidential elections were held, the electoral college was divided exactly in half, none of the candidates won a majority. In such situations, the question is transferred to the House of Representatives. This body decides by vote who to give the presidency for the next four years. The House of Representatives took part in the election of the head of the country in 1824. Four candidates competed for the seat. None succeeded in securing an Electoral College majority. The House of Representatives had to work. John Quincy Adams became president. Interestingly, according to the results of the people's will, he had the fewest votes.
Criticism of the system
In the United States, the issue ofintroduction of direct presidential elections. The argument for this was previously considered a historical fact demonstrating the injustice of the system. So, in 1876 the electoral college vote in the United States led to the election of Rutherford Hayes. However, his opponent in the course of the people's will gained more votes. It turns out that the opinion of the citizens of the country was not taken into account at the second stage of the elections. The second case happened already in our time. According to the American media, Hillary Clinton in 2016 was supported by several million more people than her rival from the Republicans. But Donald Trump is elected president for the next term. The two-stage process of expression of will is quite actively criticized in society. For America, it is important that every citizen be heard, and the Electoral College does not promote equality of rights between the states. Thus, sparsely populated territories are more significant than large urban agglomerations, since they have the same representation. In addition, candidates have to adjust their campaign to this system. They are forced to work harder in swing states, as there is a higher chance of getting votes than in territorial entities that traditionally support one party.
Crisis of the system
The last US presidential election clearly showed that the country's society is split. The main candidates waged an irreconcilable struggle of principles differing radically. Trump was supported by the population adhering to traditional values, Clinton was supported by liberal-minded citizens. Another feature of this campaign was the refusal of the Republican elite to support their candidate. The two-party system has shown a crisis. The leadership of Democrats and Republicans rallied around Clinton, but lost to the people. Interestingly, the American public, which usually does not show interest in politics, actively participated in the latest campaign. And the intensity of passions will not calm down soon, so great is the gap between the candidates. Political scientists talk in such cases about the crisis of the system, but we will see how it will actually be. Good luck!
