NEXT TUESDAY WE WON'T
DIRECTLY BE VOTING FOR
PRESIDENT AND STEP WILL BE
VOTING FOR PEOPLE WHO WILL
ELECT OUR NEXT LEADER.
WE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE
GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS
PRESIDENT.
KYLIE FROM LAKE ELMO ASKED WHY
DO WE HAVE A ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
Reporter: BASICALLY IT'S
LIKE 51 MANY ELECTIONS.
REMEMBER WASHINGTON DC IS
INCLUDED.
EACH STATE HAS A CERTAIN NUMBER
OF ELECT WORLD VOTES.
HERE MINNESOTA WE HAD 10.
WHICHEVER CANDIDATE WINS THE
STATE WINDS ARE STATE OF
MINNESOTA THEY ALSO WENT ARE 10
VOTES.
WHOEVER REACHES 270 OF THOSE
ELECTORAL VOTES WINS.
WHEN YOU VOTE FOR PRESIDENT
DOES YOUR VOTE COUNT?
I DON'T THINK SO.
I THINK IT ABSOLUTELY DOES.
I DON'T THINK IT COUNTS AND
THE WAY THAT, POPULATION THINKS
IT DOES. SORT OF.
Reporter: DAVID TEACHES
POLITICAL SILENCE -- SCIENCE AT
HAMBLEN.
I'M FROM OHIO.
I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THAT
STATUS.
THIS GOES BACK TO THE
ORIGINAL CONSTITUTIONAL DESIGN.
THE WHOLE IDEA OF AN ELECTORAL
COLLEGE IS THE PRODUCT OF TWO
OR THREE COMPROMISES.
FIRST IT'S A COMPROMISE BETWEEN
THE BIG STATES AND THE SMALL
STATES. Reporter: IN THEORY
IT WAS MEANT TO GIVE SMALLER
STATES A LARGE IS -- LARGER
BOYS.
THAT THE SOUTH WAS AFRAID
WITH THE NORTH BE MORE
POPULOUS, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE
ANY BOYS.
Reporter: THE FRAMERS DIDN'T
REALLY TRUST THE PEOPLE TO
ELECT A PRESIDENT?
CORRECT.
EXACTLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF I TRUST ALL
OF THE VOTERS.
THERE WAS A FEAR BY MANY OF
THE FRAMERS THAT SOMEHOW THE
MAJORITY COULD DO WHATEVER IT
WANTED. Reporter: THIS WAS
CREATED BACK IN THE 1700S.
IS IT STILL APPLY TODAY?
NO IT DOESN'T WORK.
Reporter: HE SAYS WE HAVE A
FAR MORE EDUCATED PUBLIC NOW.
WHY NOT JUST ELECT THE
PRESIDENT BY POPULAR VOTE?
THAT WOULD BE A SIMPLE THING
TO DO EXCEPT YOU HAVE TO CHANGE
ARTICLE 2 OF THE CONSTITUTION
AND THE 12th AMENDMENT.
NOT A SIMPLE THING TO DO.
Reporter: NOT ONLY IS A VERY
HARD TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION
SOME OF THE STATES THAT GET A
LOT OF THAT CAMPAIGN ATTENTION
RIGHT NOW MIGHT NOT WANT TO SEE
THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE GO.
IT ALSO REQUIRES THAT THE
CANDIDATE BE POPULAR IN MORE
THAN ONE REGION OF THE COUNTRY.
IF THE POPULAR VOTE WAS VERY
CLOSE YOU'D HAVE TO RETHINK --
RECOUNT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
WITH THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE YOU
JUST HAVE TO RECOUNT ONE STATE.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY?
NO, REMEMBER FLORIDA.
