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THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE
The Electoral College
was a compromise written into the U. S. Constitution in 1787, with the
result that the President and Vice President are not elected directly
by the people but by Presidential Electors. Electing the President indirectly
through the Electoral College rather than directly by the voters was seen
by the founders as a hedge against "popular passion".
The number of each
state's Electors is equal to the number of Senators and Representatives
a state has in Congress. Pennsylvania has 23 and each political party's
presidential nominee has chosen that number of Presidential Electors committed
to the nominee. The candidate receiving the highest number of popular
votes gets the states entire electoral vote.
While Pennsylvanians
will choose the Electors and not the President and Vice President at this
election, the names of the electors do not appear on the ballot. Instead,
the paired names of the candidates for President and Vice President are
on the ballot under the heading "Presidential Electors". All votes cast
for the candidates for President and Vice President are counted as votes
for that party's Electors.
The Electors, in
turn, will cast Pennsylvania's vote for President and Vice President.
For further information
on the electoral college see:
updated
05/05
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