Trump runs for POTUS / Trumped Up! Part IV

[cullennz]

What are you trying to say? You don't seem to have any understanding at all of what happens in the U.S.

Is it down to colleges or not?

 

[NoahFence]

Donald's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said 'rape would not exist if women were stronger'

...and Donald would not exist if stupid was terminal.

 

[cullennz]

And if yes. Then voting seems rather irrelevant to the outcome

 

[johnny karate]

Is there a sepcific reason we're supposed to be outraged that I'm missing?

Did someone ask you to be outraged?

 

[halleyscomet]

In the US, yes.

I could have it completely wrong and if so I apologise.

But the way I understand it, isn't it down to the colleges?

If individual votes counted, with the population there wouldn't be a result for about a week

The electoral college only applies to presidential elections. Most other ballot issues are decided by simple majority. There will be a lot of other issues to vote on when the President is elected.

Even with the electoral college every vote counts in the battleground states. Regardless of how contested the state is, the regional results are still evaluated for purposes beyond the election itself. For example, most "Red" or "Blue" states are actually shifting shades of purple. While a Republican vote in Massachusetts doesn't mean that much for presidential races, it can still be part of highlighting demographic shifts within the state, which in turn influences who runs for office and what policies they propose.

Even if your vote doesn't shift the results, it can still send a message. A narrow victory sends a very different message to political parties than a landslide.

Another reason to vote is that apathy among voters who thought they had a lock has shifted elections.

 

[sir drinks-a-lot]

Did someone ask you to be outraged?

No. I asked if there was a reason to be outraged. What do you think? Yes? No? Or is the question too tough?

 

[Bob001]

Is it down to colleges or not?

Is what "down to colleges?" What do you even mean?

 

[cullennz]

I know I am ignorant as with this but how do individual votes actually change who wins?

 

[cullennz]

Is what "down to colleges?" What do you even mean?

The college vote decides who is prez

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

...whaaht?

 

[Biscuit]

The college vote decides who is prez

You mean the electoral college. Only applies the presidential races.

 

[bonzombiekitty]

...whaaht?

He's referring to the electoral college.

 

[cullennz]

You mean the electoral college. Only applies the presidential races.

I thought we were talking about the presidential race

 

[bonzombiekitty]

I know I am ignorant as with this but how do individual votes actually change who wins?

Your individual vote helps to decide how the electoral college (which is a silly system) votes. In a certain sense, if you are a republican in an overwhelmingly democratic state or vice-versa, yeah your individual vote doesn't directly matter. However, as mentioned above, your vote can be used to help look at how the demographics are shifting - i.e. one state or region becoming more/less Democratic/Republican. Which can mean your representatives act differently.

If a candidate is blown out of the water in the overall popular vote, then the winner is going to be seen as having more of a mandate from the people, so that will change how the winner's policies get enacted.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

No I don't. Mail voting is great, and almost every state offers absentee ballots. But I do think "home," as you yourself refer to their permanent legal residence, is where they should be registered to vote.

And how do you separate out students who have left home from students who still feel like they are just at boarding school? When I went to college, I was not at boarding school, I'd lived on my own for years. Just because I left some stuff at my parents house doesn't mean I still lived there.

Many Republicans want to deny college students reside in the state their college is in if they moved there from out of state. That's bull.

 

[cullennz]

Your individual vote helps to decide how the electoral college (which is a silly system) votes. In a certain sense, if you are a republican in an overwhelmingly democratic state or vice-versa, yeah your individual vote doesn't directly matter. However, as mentioned above, your vote can be used to help look at how the demographics are shifting - i.e. one state or region becoming more/less Democratic/Republican. Which can mean your representatives act differently.

If a candidate is blown out of the water in the overall popular vote, then the winner is going to be seen as having more of a mandate from the people, so that will change how the winner's policies get enacted.

I get what you are saying, but once the colleges have chosen, surely the popular vote (even if a landslide the other way) must be irrelevant till the next presidential election.

I'm a bit skeptical about the popular vote swaying the prez's policy. They have won.

 

[Bob001]

And how do you separate out students who have left home from students who still feel like they are just at boarding school?
....

By the same standards that apply to everybody else: What's the address on their driver's license? Where is their car registered and insured? Where do they pay taxes? Student status is not the issue. An 18-year-old can be independent and self-supporting, and a 30-year-old TA living in campus housing might still list his mom's house on all his important documents. It's case by case, starting with the person's intent.

Legal residence has legal definitions. It's not just where you sleep. One thing colleges have to think about is that if a person is a legal resident for voting purposes, is he also a legal resident for tuition purposes, meaning that after the first year -- maybe less -- an out-of-state student at a state school would not pay fat out-of-state tuition? You think that wouldn't go to court? Could someone who is not a student just rent a room somewhere for the purpose of voting in the local election, then go home? Could a locality boost its voter rolls artificially to increase the money it might get from federal programs? Etc. "Let'em vote!" doesn't nearly cover all the issues.

 

[acbytesla]

In the US, yes.

I could have it completely wrong and if so I apologise.

But the way I understand it, isn't it down to the colleges?

If individual votes counted, with the population there wouldn't be a result for about a week

You're referring to the Electoral College which isn't really a college and it only applies to the President. There are 538 total Electoral delegates representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The number of delegates is proportional to the population although in reality smaller states are slightly over represented. It is a meeting where elected delegates vote for the Presidency after the general election in November. Still, It is pretty much a formality.

Each party selects a slate of delegates ahead of time and if a plurality of voters in that state vote for a that party's presidential candidate the entire slate of the respective party represents that state in the electoral college. So if one more person in California votes for Hillary, 55 Democratic delegates will vote for Hillary at the meeting. In contrast if every single person in Montana voted for Trump then Montana's entire slate of only 3 Republican delagates would vote for Trump.

That's why the State's races are very important. It takes 270 votes to win the Presidency and States where it is close, particularly those with higher populations are extra important. And they tend to be the same States every 4 years. Referred to as "Battleground States" because candidates spend time money and resources trying to win them. The two States most fought over are Florida and Ohio since they are always close and reward 29 and 18 votes respectively.

In contrast even though California has 55 votes and Texas has 38 votes the elections are usually so lopsided that few resources are spent even though the prize is so much larger.

This all seems complicated, but it's not. Check out the Electoral map on 270 to win. Makes it seem much simpler.

http://www.270towin.com

 

[acbytesla]

By the same standards that apply to everybody else: What's the address on their driver's license? Where is their car registered and insured? Where do they pay taxes? Student status is not the issue. An 18-year-old can be independent and self-supporting, and a 30-year-old TA living in campus housing might still list his mom's house on all his important documents. It's case by case, starting with the person's intent.

Legal residence has legal definitions. It's not just where you sleep. One thing colleges have to think about is that if a person is a legal resident for voting purposes, is he also a legal resident for tuition purposes, meaning that after the first year -- maybe less -- an out-of-state student at a state school would not pay fat out-of-state tuition? You think that wouldn't go to court? Could someone who is not a student just rent a room somewhere for the purpose of voting in the local election, then go home? Could a locality boost its voter rolls artificially to increase the money it might get from federal programs? Etc. "Let'em vote!" doesn't nearly cover all the issues.

You know. Parent's home, college, I don't really care. But let them VOTE!

 

[cullennz]

You're referring to the Electoral College which isn't really a college and it only applies to the President. There are 538 total Electoral delegates representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The number of delegates is proportional to the population although in reality smaller states are slightly over represented. It is a meeting where elected delegates vote for the Presidency after the general election in November. Still, It is pretty much a formality.

Each party selects a slate of delegates ahead of time and if a plurality of voters in that state vote for a that party's presidential candidate the entire slate of the respective party represents that state in the electoral college. So if one more person in California votes for Hillary, 55 Democratic delegates will vote for Hillary at the meeting. In contrast if every single person in Montana voted for Trump then Montana's entire slate of only 3 Republican delagates would vote for Trump.

That's why the State's races are very important. It takes 270 votes to win the Presidency and States where it is close, particularly those with higher populations are extra important. And they tend to be the same States every 4 years. Referred to as "Battleground States" because candidates spend time money and resources trying to win them. The two States most fought over are Florida and Ohio since they are always close and reward 29 and 18 votes respectively.

In contrast even though California has 55 votes and Texas has 38 votes the elections are usually so lopsided that few resources are spent even though the prize is so much larger.

This all seems complicated, but it's not. Check out the Electoral map on 270 to win. Makes it seem much simpler.

http://www.270towin.com

What happens if the delegate goes against the popular vote?

Are there repercussions?