US president chosen by electors, not popular vote

VOA 2012-10-19 10:00

分享到

 

Get Flash Player

Get Flash Player

Download

While millions of Americans will cast ballots for president in November, their votes do not directly send one of the candidates to the White House. That the selection of the president is actually done by a group called the "Electoral College."

Americans vote for their next president on November 6. But the real presidential election takes place on December 17, and only 538 people are involved. This small group is called the Electoral College.

When the US Constitution was forged in 1787, no European nation had its citizens directly elect their Head of State. Therefore, the Constitution’s writers devised a two-step system by which people would cast ballots, but their votes would be conveyed to a small group, the Electoral College, which meeting state-by-state about a month after the popular vote, actually selects the president.

"Those Electors are, in number, the Congressional delegation in each state -- two for the Senate, and however many Representatives," says American University Professor Curtis Gans. "And, they are elected by a winner-take-all in the states."

The only exception is for two states, Nebraska and Maine, which assign Electors proportionately according to the popular vote in each Congressional district. There are also three additional Electors representing non-state entities such as the District of Columbia, for a total of 538.

A simple majority of 270 produces a president. However, if no presidential candidate comes up with that, the Constitution provides for the House of Representatives to select the next president, though that has not happened in more than 200 years.

And, while most presidential elections have one candidate winning both a majority of the popular vote and the Electoral College, an exception took place in 2000.

Democrat Al Gore won the national popular vote by over 500,000 ballots, and had clear control of 266 Electoral College votes. But his challenger, Republican George W. Bush, led by a tiny fraction in the State of Florida.

Gore launched a state ballot recount, which Bush then challenged all the way to the Supreme Court. More than a month after the election, the Court sided with Bush, effectively awarding him Florida’s 25 electoral votes and the White House.

Both parties are so entrenched in gaming the current Electoral College system that George Mason University Professor Dennis Johnson says he does not expect a change.

"The parties are kind of looking over the strategy, and looking over the map, and saying, 'You know, for us, no, let's keep it the way it is, winner take all,’" said Johnson.

And, Johnson adds that the Democratic Party’s domination of the nation’s cities means the Republicans, who are stronger in much less populated rural areas, are not inclined to support a change to election by direct vote.

相关阅读

Polio victim searches for love in 'The Sessions'

Effort underway to boost US voter participation(视频)

West Nile surge keeps exterminator busy(视频)

Student street clinic helps homeless(视频)

(来源:VOA 编辑:Julie)

 

分享到

中国日报网英语点津版权说明:凡注明来源为“中国日报网英语点津:XXX(署名)”的原创作品,除与中国日报网签署英语点津内容授权协议的网站外,其他任何网站或单位未经允许不得非法盗链、转载和使用,违者必究。如需使用,请与010-84883561联系;凡本网注明“来源:XXX(非英语点津)”的作品,均转载自其它媒体,目的在于传播更多信息,其他媒体如需转载,请与稿件来源方联系,如产生任何问题与本网无关;本网所发布的歌曲、电影片段,版权归原作者所有,仅供学习与研究,如果侵权,请提供版权证明,以便尽快删除。

中国日报网双语新闻

扫描左侧二维码

添加Chinadaily_Mobile
你想看的我们这儿都有!

中国日报双语手机报

点击左侧图标查看订阅方式

中国首份双语手机报
学英语看资讯一个都不能少!

关注和订阅

本文相关阅读
人气排行
搜热词
 
 
精华栏目
 

阅读

词汇

视听

翻译

口语

合作

 

关于我们 | 联系方式 | 招聘信息

Copyright by chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved. None of this material may be used for any commercial or public use. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. 版权声明:本网站所刊登的中国日报网英语点津内容,版权属中国日报网所有,未经协议授权,禁止下载使用。 欢迎愿意与本网站合作的单位或个人与我们联系。

电话:8610-84883645

传真:8610-84883500

Email: languagetips@chinadaily.com.cn