The Electoral college,Some questions.

Dustin Kesselberg

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I understand that when we vote we're actually voting for electors who vote for the president..I have a few questions about that if anyone could answer.


1.On the ballot for the presidental election...Don't people get confused who don't know anything about the electoral college who are voting for president when the ballot lists the electoral canidates opposed to the people running for president? Does the ballot explain what that is all about so people don't get confused? How does that work?


2.How are electoral canidates choosen? Who picks who represents a state?
How many third party electoral canidates are there in specific states? Say Libertarian canidates.
If a libertarian presidental canidate gets say 15% of the popular vote but 0% of the electoral vote..How does that work? Do only the two major parties have seats in the electoral college? Who decides which parties guys get to even be voted for?

3.On the presidental ballot...Does it list ALL of the presidenta cannidates? Or just the 2 major parties cannidates? Republicans and Democrats. Are there communist cannidates on the ballot too?

Thanks...
 
Dustin said:
I understand that when we vote we're actually voting for electors who vote for the president..I have a few questions about that if anyone could answer.


1.On the ballot for the presidental election...Don't people get confused who don't know anything about the electoral college who are voting for president when the ballot lists the electoral canidates opposed to the people running for president? Does the ballot explain what that is all about so people don't get confused? How does that work?


2.How are electoral canidates choosen? Who picks who represents a state?
How many third party electoral canidates are there in specific states? Say Libertarian canidates.
If a libertarian presidental canidate gets say 15% of the popular vote but 0% of the electoral vote..How does that work? Do only the two major parties have seats in the electoral college? Who decides which parties guys get to even be voted for?
Click to expand...

From http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa120300a.htm
The electors of the Electoral College are real people. How they are selected is determined by both state law and the rules of the political parties. According to the U.S. Office of the Federal Register, "Generally, the political parties nominate electors at their State party conventions or by a vote of the party's central committee in each State. Electors are often selected to recognize their service and dedication to their political party. They may be State elected officials, party leaders, or persons who have a personal or political affiliation with the Presidential candidate. Then the voters in each State choose the electors on the day of the general election. The electors' names may or may not appear on the ballot below the name of the candidates running for President, depending on the procedure in each State."
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Dustin said:
3.On the presidental ballot...Does it list ALL of the presidenta cannidates? Or just the 2 major parties cannidates? Republicans and Democrats. Are there communist cannidates on the ballot too?
Thanks...
Click to expand...

Each state has its own requirements for getting on the presidential ballot. This link http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/csp/elections/3rd_party_ballot.html gives an overview of the number of states in which third party candidates made the ballot.
 
None of that really answered any of my questions...


You've explained how a party picks their electorals..But you have not explained how an electoral actually gets to be considered one of those who represent a state.

Please address my questions clearly and each seperatly.

1.Let's say Bob(random name) decides to run for president. Let's assume he belongs to some fringe party. How does this party get their electors in? As in one of those guys who actually gets to vote. I know that the parties choose their electors,and the electors who are in the electoral college vote according to their party...But how does one from any part get into the electoral college?

2.Let's assume Bob wants to run for president. Let's also assume Bob is an indipendent without any party affiliation. How then could Bob possibly get elected president? Let's say the voters want Bob to be president but since he has no party,He has no electoral voters..Thus it's impossible for him to be president. Is this true?

3.Why does the ballot not list every single presidental cannidate running?
 
Dustin said:
1.Let's say Bob(random name) decides to run for president. Let's assume he belongs to some fringe party. How does this party get their electors in? As in one of those guys who actually gets to vote. I know that the parties choose their electors,and the electors who are in the electoral college vote according to their party...But how does one from any part get into the electoral college?
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I'm not sure I clearly understand your question, but let's try. Bob first must qualify for the ballot in the state(s) he has chosen to run for President in. For the Dems and Republicans this is no great chore, but for Bob it can amount to just a few signatures on a petition to thousands of signatures--each state differs.

Once Bob has qualified to be on the ballot in that particular state, he can then name his group of electoral college nominees. They can be contributers, family friends, as long as they meet the requirements of the (sate/national?) laws--I will admit I am a bit hazy there. That list is then accepted and Bob's chosen electors have nothing more to do until election time.


2.Let's assume Bob wants to run for president. Let's also assume Bob is an indipendent without any party affiliation. How then could Bob possibly get elected president? Let's say the voters want Bob to be president but since he has no party,He has no electoral voters..Thus it's impossible for him to be president. Is this true?
Click to expand...

Since Bob can name his electors (as all parties can) if he wins the popular vote in a particular state, it will be his set of electors that will go to Washington to cast their (mostly symbolic) votes for him. The electors for other candidates that lost the election in that state get to sit at home--they are irrelevant.


3.Why does the ballot not list every single presidental cannidate running?
Click to expand...

As noted above, each State can set the guidelines for candidates to be on the ballot in their state. Some are relatively easy to get one, while others require thousands of signatures by registered voters. That is why the major parties dominate, they have the infrastructure to get on the ballot everywhere, while a smaller party may not have the people/support/name recognition to qualify.

So it goes (1) Decide to run (2) Meet the state's requirements to be on the ballot (3) Name your electors (4) Campaign (5) If you win the vote in the state, your electors are chosen to represent the state (6) If you lose the vote in the state, your electors stay home.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks.

What do you mean by "mostly symbolic"?

Since Bob can name his electors (as all parties can) if he wins the popular vote in a particular state, it will be his set of electors that will go to Washington to cast their (mostly symbolic) votes for him.
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Dustin said:
Thanks.

What do you mean by "mostly symbolic"?
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Well, the election (at least for President) is held in November, but IIRC correctly, the Electoral College doesn't meet until later (Feb?). But everyone knows who won when the votes are counted in Novmeber.

Plus, you expect the people you chose as your electors to vote for you when the Electoral College meets (you'd be pretty dumb to choose somebody that hated you) so it's not like there is going to be a big surprise when the College votes...although there have been 1-2 instances of rogue Electoral voters deserting the Party and voting for somebody else (IIRC, the last time was a Democratic elector voting for the Dixiecrats in 1948, but I could be wrong)
 
Hutch said:
Well, the election (at least for President) is held in November, but IIRC correctly, the Electoral College doesn't meet until later (Feb?).
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It's earlier - December, I think.

Can't possibly be later than January 20, 'cuz on January 20, 2008, they'll be swearing in a new president. Who's it gonna be, if the electoral college hasn't met yet to perform its one and only function?
 
BPSCG said:
It's earlier - December, I think.

Can't possibly be later than January 20, 'cuz on January 20, 2008, they'll be swearing in a new president. Who's it gonna be, if the electoral college hasn't met yet to perform its one and only function?
Click to expand...

Are you sure this isn´t January 20, 2009?
 
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