Warmup Answer the following question on your warmup

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Warm-up: Answer the following question on your warm-up page. How many times have your

Warm-up: Answer the following question on your warm-up page. How many times have your parents voted for the president?

Review Homework n Flip chart

Review Homework n Flip chart

The Electoral College Electing a President Read pages 241 -244 in the textbook

The Electoral College Electing a President Read pages 241 -244 in the textbook

Presidential Primaries are like the semi- finals in a tournament… The purpose of primaries

Presidential Primaries are like the semi- finals in a tournament… The purpose of primaries is to select a candidate for a political party to compete against the other party’s candidate in the General Election (championship game)

Do both Parties have primaries? n Sometimes yes, sometimes no! n When one Party

Do both Parties have primaries? n Sometimes yes, sometimes no! n When one Party has a president sitting in office and he is running for re-election, that party does not have primaries. n If a president is finishing his second term, both parties will have several candidates trying to become their Party’s nominee to run for president.

Hopefuls announce their intention to run Democrats Republicans Begin fundraising and campaigning Primary election

Hopefuls announce their intention to run Democrats Republicans Begin fundraising and campaigning Primary election held in each state Candidates drop out if they are not winning the primaries The winning candidate for each party is announced at the party convention in the summer And the race for the president begins…General Election!

Current Primaries: Who would you vote for? Mitt Romney Rick Santorum Newt Gingrich Ron

Current Primaries: Who would you vote for? Mitt Romney Rick Santorum Newt Gingrich Ron Paul

General Election Day: the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November On this

General Election Day: the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November On this day our elected representatives are elected by a direct popular vote which means; § The people (electorate) mark their ballots for a candidate on Election Day. n The candidate that receives the majority of the votes (popular vote) wins the election.

EXCEPT: Presidential Elections n The Framers of the Constitution decided that electing the President

EXCEPT: Presidential Elections n The Framers of the Constitution decided that electing the President would be different. They created the Electoral College. n It is a process to select the president and vice president of the US.

n Why? ? ? n Feared ignorance and apathy of the people. n However,

n Why? ? ? n Feared ignorance and apathy of the people. n However, n more people vote in presidential elections than in state or local elections.

How the Electoral College Works Prior to the General Election, 1) A slate of

How the Electoral College Works Prior to the General Election, 1) A slate of electors for each state is chosen by Popular vote The number of electors each state gets is based on the state’s total congressional representation. This means the total number of Senators each state has (2) plus the number of members in the House (based on the state’s population)

The Electors VIRGINIA 2 Senate 11 House of Representatives (based on the number of

The Electors VIRGINIA 2 Senate 11 House of Representatives (based on the number of congressional districts) 13 Total Electors

When do electors vote? 2) After General Election Day, the electors n meet to

When do electors vote? 2) After General Election Day, the electors n meet to cast their electoral vote for the president and vice president based on the popular vote winner in their state NOTE: Since the Electoral College is a process, not a building, the electors meet in their state’s capital and send the ballots to Congress counts the votes. School House Rock Video n http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=oy. IFqf 3 XH 24&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe= active

Which candidate won the lowest percentage of the popular vote yet won the electoral

Which candidate won the lowest percentage of the popular vote yet won the electoral vote to become president?

3. The Electoral College is a winner-take-all system which means n. Usually the candidate

3. The Electoral College is a winner-take-all system which means n. Usually the candidate that wins the popular vote in each state gets all of the state’s electoral votes

Winning the Electoral College 100 435 Senate House 3 Wash. DC 538 TOTAL However,

Winning the Electoral College 100 435 Senate House 3 Wash. DC 538 TOTAL However, the electors are NOT the same people who are in Congress n A candidate must win a majority of the electoral votes n The Magic Number is http: //www. 270 towin. com/

How is the total of 538 Electoral College votes determined? What is the purpose

How is the total of 538 Electoral College votes determined? What is the purpose of the popular vote in the Electoral College system? Total number electors is one elector for each senator and representative in every state, plus three for the District of Columbia. The winner of the state’s popular vote receives all the state’s electors.

n You would think that presidential candidates would only focus on the larger states

n You would think that presidential candidates would only focus on the larger states that have more electoral votes. However, the candidates must also pay attention to n The smaller states which can become important when their electoral votes may make the difference in close elections

Election 2000 Click the Speaker button to replay the audio.

Election 2000 Click the Speaker button to replay the audio.

2000 Election George Bush Al Gore Popular Vote 50, 461, 092 Popular Vote 50,

2000 Election George Bush Al Gore Popular Vote 50, 461, 092 Popular Vote 50, 994, 086 Electoral Vote 271 Electoral Vote 266

2000 Election: In which states did each party get a majority? How does that

2000 Election: In which states did each party get a majority? How does that affect campaigns?

Senator Durbin

Senator Durbin

n The requirement for a majority vote to win the Electoral College favors a

n The requirement for a majority vote to win the Electoral College favors a n two party political system n because third parties cannot win enough popular votes in order to get the electoral votes.

Review Time! § http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=A a. Mh. TQPy 9 e. E&feature=related&safe

Review Time! § http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=A a. Mh. TQPy 9 e. E&feature=related&safe ty_mode=true&persist_safety_mode =1&safe=active

General Election Day: cont. the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November Voters

General Election Day: cont. the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November Voters from each state go to the polls to select their presidential candidate and his running mate (popular vote) A candidate must win a majority of the electoral vote in order to win the Electoral College and become president A candiate needs at least 270 of the 538 vote in order to win. The popular vote is counted and a winner is declared in each state The winning candidate in each state gets all of the state's electoral vote. This is called the winner -take- all system. There are only 538 electoral vote that decides who will be president In December, the electors meet to cast their state's vote for president.

If you were running for President, which states would you want to win?

If you were running for President, which states would you want to win?

States that are always competitive among candidates: n California n New York n Texas

States that are always competitive among candidates: n California n New York n Texas n Florida n Pennsylvania n Illinois n Ohio 55 votes 33 votes 32 votes 25 votes 23 votes 22 votes 21 votes

Electoral College Trivia n Does winning the popular vote always mean you become president?

Electoral College Trivia n Does winning the popular vote always mean you become president? n NO- winning the popular vote does not always mean you will reach the magic number of n 270 What happens if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral votes? The House of Reps votes n Has this ever happened? Yes, in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000

 Inauguration Day January th 20

Inauguration Day January th 20

Electoral College Review Popular Vote Electoral Vote

Electoral College Review Popular Vote Electoral Vote

HOMEWORK 1. Color in the US map according to instructions.

HOMEWORK 1. Color in the US map according to instructions.