Does your vote count? The Electoral College explained
Published on 1 Nov 2012
View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/does-your-v...
You vote, but then what? Discover how your individual vote contributes to the popular vote and your state's electoral vote in different ways--and see how votes are counted on both state and national levels.
Lesson by Christina Greer, animation by Marked Animation.
You vote, but then what? Discover how your individual vote contributes to the popular vote and your state's electoral vote in different ways--and see how votes are counted on both state and national levels.
Lesson by Christina Greer, animation by Marked Animation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9H3gvnN468
What is the U.S. electoral college and how does it work?
Published on 7 Jul 2016
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
For story suggestions please contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw
United States citizens over the age of 18 can choose to vote in presidential elections. This is called the popular vote.
But American voters don’t actually pick the president through a majority vote. That’s the job of the electoral college. In 2016, a candidate will need at least 270 electoral votes to become president.
This system is strange to many, but it goes back to the earliest days of the founding of the United States of America. The founding fathers created the electoral college because they worried states with smaller populations might not be fairly represented.
They also didn’t think the “common man” was informed enough to choose a suitable president. So they created the electoral college, which is a group of selectors who cast votes as representatives of each state.
Today, it has 538 members. That’s one for every member of the House of Representatives and Senate, representing all 50 states. In addition, Washington DC has three electoral college members.
To win the presidency, a candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes.
Winning electoral votes is mostly achieved by winning the popular vote in each state. Win California’s popular vote and you take home the state’s 55 electoral votes. Win the popular vote in Texas and you are awarded that state’s 38 electoral votes.
This is called a winner-take-all system.
But sometimes, a candidate wins the popular vote nationally but doesn’t amass enough electoral votes. This happened in 2000 when Democratic candidate Al Gore won the popular vote nationwide, but Republican George W. Bush won Florida in a close contest.
Bush’s win in Florida was enough to give him the electoral vote victory, and the presidency, despite Gore beating Bush by roughly half a million popular votes.
Usually the electoral college and the popular vote produce the same winner. Only four times in America’s history has the popular vote been different from the electoral vote.
VOICEOVER (in English):
The electoral college isn’t a college that decides if you get a diploma, but it does decide if you get to be president of the United States.
In the U.S., citizens over the age of 18 can vote in presidential elections. This is called the “popular vote.”
But it’s electoral college that actually chooses the president. And you need 270 electoral votes to become president.
The founding fathers created the electoral college because they worried states with smaller populations might not get fairly represented.
They also didn’t think the ‘common man’ was informed enough to choose a suitable president.
So they created the electoral college. Today, it has 538 members. That’s one for every member of the House of Representatives and Senate, representing all 50 states. In addition, Washington DC has three electoral college members.
To win the presidency, you must win at least 270 electoral votes. And to win electoral votes, for the most part you need to win the popular vote in each state. By winning California’s popular vote, you take home the state’s 55 electoral votes. And if you win the popular vote in Texas, you win that state’s 38 electoral votes. This is called a winner-take-all system.
But sometimes, a candidate wins the popular vote nationally but doesn’t amass enough electoral votes. This happened in 2000. Democratic candidate Al
Gore won the popular vote nationwide.
Yet Republican George W. Bush won Florida in a close contest. That was enough to give him the electoral vote victory. Only four times in America’s history has the popular vote been different from the electoral vote.
SOURCES:
National Archives and Records Administration
http://www.archives.gov/federal-regis...
***
For story suggestions please contact tips@nextanimation.com.tw
United States citizens over the age of 18 can choose to vote in presidential elections. This is called the popular vote.
But American voters don’t actually pick the president through a majority vote. That’s the job of the electoral college. In 2016, a candidate will need at least 270 electoral votes to become president.
This system is strange to many, but it goes back to the earliest days of the founding of the United States of America. The founding fathers created the electoral college because they worried states with smaller populations might not be fairly represented.
They also didn’t think the “common man” was informed enough to choose a suitable president. So they created the electoral college, which is a group of selectors who cast votes as representatives of each state.
Today, it has 538 members. That’s one for every member of the House of Representatives and Senate, representing all 50 states. In addition, Washington DC has three electoral college members.
To win the presidency, a candidate must win at least 270 electoral votes.
Winning electoral votes is mostly achieved by winning the popular vote in each state. Win California’s popular vote and you take home the state’s 55 electoral votes. Win the popular vote in Texas and you are awarded that state’s 38 electoral votes.
This is called a winner-take-all system.
But sometimes, a candidate wins the popular vote nationally but doesn’t amass enough electoral votes. This happened in 2000 when Democratic candidate Al Gore won the popular vote nationwide, but Republican George W. Bush won Florida in a close contest.
Bush’s win in Florida was enough to give him the electoral vote victory, and the presidency, despite Gore beating Bush by roughly half a million popular votes.
Usually the electoral college and the popular vote produce the same winner. Only four times in America’s history has the popular vote been different from the electoral vote.
VOICEOVER (in English):
The electoral college isn’t a college that decides if you get a diploma, but it does decide if you get to be president of the United States.
In the U.S., citizens over the age of 18 can vote in presidential elections. This is called the “popular vote.”
But it’s electoral college that actually chooses the president. And you need 270 electoral votes to become president.
The founding fathers created the electoral college because they worried states with smaller populations might not get fairly represented.
They also didn’t think the ‘common man’ was informed enough to choose a suitable president.
So they created the electoral college. Today, it has 538 members. That’s one for every member of the House of Representatives and Senate, representing all 50 states. In addition, Washington DC has three electoral college members.
To win the presidency, you must win at least 270 electoral votes. And to win electoral votes, for the most part you need to win the popular vote in each state. By winning California’s popular vote, you take home the state’s 55 electoral votes. And if you win the popular vote in Texas, you win that state’s 38 electoral votes. This is called a winner-take-all system.
But sometimes, a candidate wins the popular vote nationally but doesn’t amass enough electoral votes. This happened in 2000. Democratic candidate Al
Gore won the popular vote nationwide.
Yet Republican George W. Bush won Florida in a close contest. That was enough to give him the electoral vote victory. Only four times in America’s history has the popular vote been different from the electoral vote.
SOURCES:
National Archives and Records Administration
http://www.archives.gov/federal-regis...
***
How the Electoral College Works in 6 Minutes
Published on 20 Feb 2016
The Electoral College is the system that dictates how our next president is elected. Contrary to popular belief, when you or I go to the polls to vote, we are not actually voting for a presidential nominee. We are voting for an elector.
How Does the Electoral College Work?
Published on 4 Mar 2016
In this edition of Tune-In AR1, Congressman Rick Crawford covers the Electoral College, the Electoral College in Arkansas, who it helps, and how some states have changed it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9sM11cPR-o
How the Electoral College Works | USA election 2016
Published on 5 Nov 2015
Welcome back to American election 101
Do you think voting is so simple?
You vote for the person you want and the person with the most votes wins ! But no there is this thing that is called electoral college and in this video we will explain how all that works.
When voting for the president of the United States what is being counted is not each individual vote cast by each individual person. Instead they are counting the votes by each state majority to vote Democratic or Republican.So if the majority of the people in your state vote Republican your state vote will be casted for Republican.
Now, this is where it gets a little bit more tricky but in this video we will try to break it down nice and easy for you.
Do you think voting is so simple?
You vote for the person you want and the person with the most votes wins ! But no there is this thing that is called electoral college and in this video we will explain how all that works.
When voting for the president of the United States what is being counted is not each individual vote cast by each individual person. Instead they are counting the votes by each state majority to vote Democratic or Republican.So if the majority of the people in your state vote Republican your state vote will be casted for Republican.
Now, this is where it gets a little bit more tricky but in this video we will try to break it down nice and easy for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klB5iU6r6I8
The Electoral College for Dummies: How it Works
Uploaded on 6 Aug 2010
When someone says Electoral College do you quietly look down and hope to avoid the conversation? Well you're not alone and HipHughes is here to clearly explain how the Electoral College works! You will me memorized as you become engaged though my aloofness layered thick with spurts of good content which will stick to your brain like wet on water. Click play and let some HipHughes into your brain!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5PbodZMA2M
Why Does the United States Use the Electoral College and Not a Popular Vote to Decide the President?
Published on 31 Oct 2016
In this video, we're looking at how the electoral college system actually works and why it is that the United States uses the electoral college instead of the popular vote to decide who gets to be president.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HA1i6NqZJ4
HOW DO US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WORK? - The Electoral College - QT Explains
Published on 25 Jul 2016
If you think that Presidents of the United States win their elections by getting the most votes cast by ordinary American citizens: I've got some bad news for you. You're wrong.
Sure, winning the most votes usually goes hand-in-hand with winning the presidency, but try telling that to Al Gore. Or Andrew Jackson, or Samuel J Tilden, or Grover Cleveland—all of whom won the popular vote in presidential elections without winning what's actually required to become the president.
US presidential elections are actually indirect, which means that the vote you cast in November won't necessarily do anything to help get your chosen candidate elected. Electoral votes—the ones cast by the members of the US Electoral College, are what are actually counted to determine the next President of the United States.
So what is this mysterious Electoral College? How are its members chosen? And, most importantly...
WHY DOES IT EVEN EXIST?
Sure, winning the most votes usually goes hand-in-hand with winning the presidency, but try telling that to Al Gore. Or Andrew Jackson, or Samuel J Tilden, or Grover Cleveland—all of whom won the popular vote in presidential elections without winning what's actually required to become the president.
US presidential elections are actually indirect, which means that the vote you cast in November won't necessarily do anything to help get your chosen candidate elected. Electoral votes—the ones cast by the members of the US Electoral College, are what are actually counted to determine the next President of the United States.
So what is this mysterious Electoral College? How are its members chosen? And, most importantly...
WHY DOES IT EVEN EXIST?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM38LUZT-NI
Electoral College 9 minutes
Uploaded on 24 Dec 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXc-mwhDTFw
Do You Understand the Electoral College?
Published on 18 May 2015
Do you understand what the Electoral College is? Or how it works? Or why America uses it to elect its presidents instead of just using a straight popular vote? Author, lawyer and Electoral College expert Tara Ross does, and she explains that to understand the Electoral College is to understand American democracy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6s7jB6-GoU
