US Voting System

[Petal]

I am trying to get my head around how the US voting system works.

I know that the winner of President is decided by capturing a majority of Electoral College votes (at least 270 out of the 538) and not by the popular vote.

What I don't understand (even after reading Wikipedia) is how it really works.

1. It appears on the surface (although this must not be the case) that the Democratic or Republican party only has to to influence 538 people and not 200 million.

2. What is the point of the American Public voting???

Wikipeida is a great resource but I could not find anywhere when it simply explained my two points above.

 

[buzzlightyear]

Petal, think of each US state like an electorate here in Australia. When you vote in your electorate here in Oz, ultimately there is a winner. The party with a majority of electorates wins. Same principle for the US state, with one slight difference.

In the US system, when you win the popular vote in each state, the state has a number of electoral college votes assigned to it eg California has 55. So if you win California popular vote, you receive 55 electoral college votes. The winner needs to get 270 (538 in total)

Each state is assigned electoral college votes based on how many House of Reps & Senate reps it has. So the bigger population the more electoral college votes it has. Similar to the Australian House of Reps, where there are more electorates in NSW & Vic.

 

[Aaron Sice]

geeeeezus - talk about complicated - no wonder they need 2 years of campaigning.

 

[Petal]

Petal, think of each US state like an electorate here in Australia. When you vote in your electorate here in Oz, ultimately there is a winner. The party with a majority of electorates wins. Same principle for the US state, with one slight difference.

In the US system, when you win the popular vote in each state, the state has a number of electoral college votes assigned to it eg California has 55. So if you win California popular vote, you receive 55 electoral college votes. The winner needs to get 270 (538 in total)

Each state is assigned electoral college votes based on how many House of Reps & Senate reps it has. So the bigger population the more electoral college votes it has. Similar to the Australian House of Reps, where there are more electorates in NSW & Vic.

Thanks Buzz, that does clear it up a bit, however it seems pretty complicated (but maybe because I am not used to the process). From what you are saying it is an "all or nothing thing" with the electoral votes as per your example you get the whole 55 for California if say the Democrates just beat the Republicans in that state??

 

[buzzlightyear]

Yep, you win the state, however close, you get all electoral college votes.

If my memory serves me well and my short time in the US going to school there many moons ago is correct, I believe the background to the system was initially they wanted the President to be elected by Congress, others wanted a direct election model. The system they got was the compromise.

Reminds anyone of debates here in Oz around the Republic debate?!

Well that's a 25 word or less answer Maybe Marc (aka Bayview) can expand more on it.

 

[BayView]

geeeeezus - talk about complicated - no wonder they need 2 years of campaigning.

That's to try and persuade the voters to actually get of their collective @rses and waddle down to the voting booth and vote.

Most US people don't even vote - it's not compulsory.

 

[buzzlightyear]

That's to try and persuade the voters to actually get of their collective @rses and waddle down to the voting booth and vote.

Most US people don't even vote - it's not compulsory.

~60-63% voter turn out in 2008 election depending on which stats you look at. Highest since 1960.

 

[AlmostBob]

~60-63% voter turn out in 2008 election depending on which stats you look at. Highest since 1960.

-- look what they did to that year's Prez...
2012 is a year to avoid Dallas

 

[BayView]

~60-63% voter turn out in 2008 election depending on which stats you look at. Highest since 1960.

Yes, I remember the media were drawing attention to this.

It is largely due to the Obama factor I gather.