Citizen Advocates for Constitutional Principles

Constitutional Gems - # 806 - 02-11-2008

Selecting the Electors

The Founding Fathers recognized the flaw of a true democracy was that the general population could not afford the time that it took to truly study all issues in sufficient depth. The general population was as well too given to the sways of emotion rather than reason. Herein is the logic and reason of a representative republic. We elect representatives to devote their time and energy to the facts of the issues of state at hand.

The logic of the establishment of the Electoral College had the same basis as for legislative representation. It is impossible for the general electorate to become acquainted with the candidates for the highest federal office. So the Constitution directs that people be elected to be trusted with the selection of the President and Vice-President.

Each state has a number of Electors the sum total of the number of that state's Senators and Representatives. The state legislature controls the manner in which Electors are selected. (US Constitution, Article II, Section 1, Clause 2) Each party can select a slate of Elector nominees by methods determined by that state's party. When election day comes, when we vote for the presidential candidate of our choice but in fact that vote is for candidate's party selection of Electors. The list of Electors may or may not be on the ballot. But you have the right to always ask for the list of Electors.

Each individual state can by law require that the Electors must vote for the candidate that they were elected to select, at least in the first or first few ballots. The states also have the option to give all of that state's Electors to the candidate that wins the majority of votes in that state or the Electors may be divided up in proportion to the votes won by that candidate.

Contributed by George Sweeney

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