Do You Know How the Electoral College Works?

Wow. What a ride this presidential election has been! We love politics at our house, and we often talk about the different candidates and watch the debates. I love to hear my kids’ perspectives. They are hilarious and insightful at the same time. But I have to admit, I haven’t done a great job teaching the about the Electoral College. In fact- I was a little fuzzy on it myself! (This is a great post if you need to brush up on the Constitution.)

I don’t know if you are happy or upset with the two main candidates, or if you are looking at a third party choice, but I DO know that there has been a lot of fighting on Facebook and other social media sites about it. Here are some questions I have seen lately:

Do our votes really count?
Is the electoral college outdated or is it a safeguard?
Can a third party candidate realistically get enough votes to split the election and have it go to a vote in the House of Representatives? If you vote for a third party, will you be giving your vote to the “enemy” (whoever that may be for you)?

I have scoured Youtube to find quick videos that describe the process. Though they may have a lot in common, I think each has something to bring to the table. Some of these videos have not been updated for the most recent election, but I feel they are still relevant.

A careful study of history will show you that despite what is commonly bantered about, the United States is a republic, NOT a democracy. It was designed that way on purpose, though recent legislation has been slowly trying to change that.

I think all viewpoints are worth listening to, and I wanted to give you a good variety of choices. Have fun!

General Information About the Electoral College

This is a general explanation by TED. If you only watch one, this is the one to watch. I learned something new when we watch this one!

Prager University’s explanation with historical context and analysis. (This has great info, but is a little bit dry for the kids.)

What if there is a tie?

Do you know what happens?

Alternative Idea

Some people are trying to get rid of the Electoral College. Do you agree or disagree?

Third Party Candidates

Do they have a chance? How do they affect the election?

Who are the Members of the Electoral College?

Electoral Map: Change the States, see the results!

map — Screenshot from RealClearPolitics.com

I found this map from Real Clear Politics courtesy of Jenna from SmartHERnews.com (absolutely LOVE her!). It is an interactive map, where you can experiment and rearrange the electoral votes in each state. That way, you can see which candidate would win in a variety of situations. Very cool! You can find the map here.