Tuesday's election won't be decided
by popular vote alone.
>> Here's how to sound smart about
the electoral college.
[MUSIC]
>> So the election is almost here
in the United States, and
you might have been hearing a lot
about the electoral college, but
you might not know what that means.
>> Or how to get in!
>> [LAUGH] >> [SOUND] >> So funny.
So today we are explaining what
the electoral college actually is,
and how it plays a huge role in
the election.
So what is the electoral college?
Well, the electoral college
is made up of 538 electors who cast
votes to decide the President and
Vice-President of
the United States.
So when voters go to the polls
on Tuesday,
they'll be choosing which candidate
receives their state's electors.
The candidate who receives
a majority of electoral votes, 270,
wins the presidency.
Now you might have been
hearing the number 538 and that is
the sum- >> Yeah, we just said it.
>> My god, you're so funny.
>> [LAUGH] >> That is the sum of
the nation's 435 Representatives,
100 Senators and 3 electors
given to the District of Columbia.
>> Mm-hm.
>> And so, how does it all work?
Well, in all but
two states, the candidate who wins
the majority of votes in a state
wins that state's electoral votes.
>> Now in Nebraska and
Maine, electoral votes are assigned
by proportional representation,
meaning that the top vote-getter
in those states wins two electoral
votes by the two senators.
While the remaining electoral
votes are allocated congressional
district by congressional
district, okay?
So- >> Generally you don't have to
worry about Nebraska and
Maine, though.
They don't generally matter that
much in the elections in terms
of like swinging,
based on- >> I was like, that's
just really mean to everybody who
lives in Nebraska and Maine.
>> No, the states are fine.
Just don't take that and
be like, it's super complicated.
>> It won't be swinging
the election that much.
But it is interesting,
because the people wondered if
electors actually have to vote for
their party's candidate.
Now, neither the Constitution nor
Federal election laws compel
electors to vote for
their party's candidate.
That said, 27 states have laws on
the books that require electors to
vote for the party's candidate if
that candidate gets a majority of
the state's popular vote.
>> Would the concern- >> So
only 27 states.
>> Yeah, the concern is well,
if they can just vote for whoever
they want, then they really get to
choose the president, not us.
In practice, they don't just
vote- >> They won't just do that.
>> Willy-nilly for
whoever they want.
>> Yeah.
>> That doesn't actually work.
>> Yeah, exactly.
But can you lose the popular vote
and win the electoral vote, if they
sort of do vote this willy-nilly,
as John has actually described.
>> No, no,
no that can come about not because
of electors being mischievous, but
because you can win all
of the electoral college votes in
a state by winning 51% of the vote.
>> Right.
>> Or you could win 100% of
the vote,
which means more of your popular
vote would have gone to not getting
any more electoral college votes.
And then you could go really low in
another state.
So the way that your popular vote
is distributed between the states
could leave you winning the popular
vote, but losing the electoral
college >> Well, that is exactly
what happened in 2000, to George W,
who lost the popular vote to
Al Gore by 0.51%, but won
the electoral college, 271 to 266.
And I think those kinds
of situations freak people out.
>> Yes, so
the idea there is, it's okay.
I guess we can
have the electoral college.
But if it ever is different from
how the people seem to
have decided,
then it seems undemocratic.
>> Yeah, I think that becomes
a little bit more hairy.
>> But even in this case,
it was only 0.51%.
I mean, that's pretty small.
Yeah, but that we had eight years
of George W, so it was kinda big.
>> Yeah, those were good years.
>> [LAUGH] So
why does the electoral college even
matter in situations when this
doesn't happen?
Well, the electoral college
system distinguishes
the United States from
other systems where the highest
vote-getter automatically wins.
And so this indirect election
obviously has been sort
of the source of criticism for
a lot of people who are worried
about those sorts of situations.
Every vote should matter and
that's a little bit more evident in
a popular vote situation.
But the reason that it was put into
place was to maintain that it
ensures the rights of smaller
states and
stands as an important piece of
American federalist democracy.
I just don't think- >> That's
an argument yes.
I just don't think that is as
pertinent in 2016 as it was in
the early days of America.
I think because there is such
a movement of people and
places and ideas, not places,
places don't move.
But there's a movement.
>> That hill's got some good
thoughts about the economy.
>> But there's so much movement
with people now, and people are so
spread out, that each state
doesn't necessarily have one issue
that they really need to vote on.
I think we need to- >> Yeah, but
the people in different states
do have different concerns.
I mean look, I
think there are arguments for
having it and not having it.
There are pros and cons.
If we didn't have it- >> It's just
not as segregated as it was,
is kind of what I meant.
>> It's not, but I don't think
that the segregation is the reason
that they think it's necessary.
It's that, with the electoral
college, you theoretically have
to pay attention to more states.
It turns out that with the way that
our elections go you don't have to
pay attention to that many states
anyway, because most of them are so
clearly gonna go for
one candidate or the other.
But if you didn't have
the electoral college then you
could theoretically just drive up
the vote in a couple of big areas
or urban areas and not have to
worry about more rural states.
I don't know, I mean they're all-
>> Either way,
I mean it's the same thing.
They're focusing on
some states versus others.
Versus maybe if they are focusing
on bigger metropolis areas versus
small areas.
>> Yep, like I said, pros and cons.
>> Guys, let us know what you think
the pros and
cons of the electoral college is in
the comments down below.
I'll see you soon.
[MUSIC]
