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The League of
Women Voters,
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National President Speaks
We have just elected a new U.S. president, but who are we? Instead of a simple majority of all voters, at least 270 electors were required to make the decision. [See illustrated Wikipedia article on the Electoral College and the last two elections] That didn’t happen officially until 40 days after the election. Throughout the long campaign, candidates and the media focused on swing states, such as Pennsylvania and Ohio, where electoral votes were in question and numerous enough to help the candidate reach the magic goal of 270 out of 538. Many other states, like Connecticut, saw little of the candidates.
Although this system is antiquated and confusing, the Electoral College system is specified in the U.S. Constitution. The founding fathers were attempting to ensure that small states play a meaningful part in the election of the president and that each state has the power over the individual voter, a core principal of federalism.
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