Kadoka
High School
Kadoka, South Dakota
Teacher: Teresa Shuck
The Election Process
By Amanda Elwood
Grade 11
The Electoral College has been in use for than 100 years. Our founding fathers created this method of voting. It has also been used to determine the president of the United States. Representatives from each state cast their vote and that is how they determine who wins.
The presidential election is a time when candidates go out to let the American citizens know what they stand for, what they believe in, and what they want to accomplish. The people that are running for this position should be ready to take whatever comes at them, a win or loss, and be able to handle the fact that they may not be the best one for the job.
The people of America have just as big a responsibility as the candidates do. They have to make sure that they choose the best one for the job. They have to make sure that their decision will benefit everybody and that it will make the Unites States a better place for future generations. They have the job of defending what they think is right or wrong in America.
In the Electoral College, the people vote. Their votes, in a sense, don’t really count for anything. One candidate could win the popular vote, but not win that state or win the election. So, in a way, the people aren’t really voting for who they want to be president. They are just giving their input.
The presidential election is a very important time. Many people run for president, but you only have a chance if you have a lot of money to spend. People that don’t have all the sponsors and money pretty much don’t have a chance on becoming a president. There are a lot of people that try to become president, but they just don’t make it.
A good example of how the Electoral College works is: in 1842 four candidates received Electoral College votes, but none a majority: Andrew Jackson=99, John Quincy Adams=84, William Crawford=41, and Henry Clay=37. The house awarded Adams 13 and Jackson 7. So over all Adams won, only by the popular vote. This brings up a question why should people vote if they do it by a popular and not the majority?
In the year 2000 we had a good example of just how bad our election system really is. The race was against George W. Bush and Al Gore. Everything was going fine until they got to Florida. They had all the votes counted and George Bush had won, but then Al Gore decided that he wanted a recount. They spent over a month trying to decide weather or not George Bush really won. Al Gore then wanted to take it to the House and have them do another recount, but finally they just said that George Bush won. Al Gore still didn’t like the fact that he had lost the election.
The way that the election process is, is the way it has been for over 100 years. The founding fathers had it this way. They made it so that the popular vote made them win. It made it so that even if they win the majority, they still might not win the election.
When they elect the president, they have a certain number of representatives for each state. They then vote for whom they want and that is how many votes the candidates get for that state. The more population that state has the more representatives it has.
The Electoral College is a good way to go. The popular voting system is rather difficult to understand. The winner-take-all system means that the one that wins is the one that is president. The majority system is when the majority of the votes go to one person and that is who is the winner.
The election process is a very important time in the nation. People that don’t vote are making a big mistake. People need to vote and cast their opinion. The things that go on in the United States are not only what the president does, but also what the people of America do and how they react to it. The way the president is elected is somewhat up to the people of the United States and not always just up to the Government. So remember, always let people know what you think and how you think things should be. Let people know what you really stand for and how you really fell about the subject at steak.
1.) How and when did the United States elect a president and vice president of different parties? Name them and their respective parties.
With the Electoral College in 1796. With John Adams as federalist as president and Thomas Jefferson as republican as vice president.
2.) Describe four ways that were suggested to elect the President between 1808 and 1846.
They are election reform proposals, direct vote plan, electoral college votes, and automatic plan or proportional plan.
3.) Name five U.S. Presidents who were elected with less than a popular vote.
They were John Quincy Adams, J. Polk, Z. Taylor, J. Buchanan, and A. Lincoln
4.) Describe the winner-take-all system. Which states use this system?
The one with the highest percent wins. Maine uses this system.
5.) When do electors vote and when are the results known?
In November. The first Monday after the second Wednesday in December. January
6.) What affect would substituting a direct popular vote for the Ecttoral College have on third party candidates? Why?
It wouldn’t give the third party a chance to win or get any votes.
7.) Give four arguments for and against a direct vote system.
In 1816 the first direct-plan was proposed by Senator Abner Lacock of Pennsylvania and was defeated 21 to 12.
8.) Describe the difference between the district plan, the proportional plan and the winner-take-all plan.
Direct-plan- a non-majority
Proportional plan- urban area lose power
Winner-take-all- to much leverage
9.) State the four points experts in 1969 agreed should be included in an ideal plan for electing U.S. Presidents.
1.) the need for a quick decision and clear cut winner 2.) the victor should be the people’s choice winner of the most popular vote 3.) the president elect should have a mandate to govern a legitimacy which comes from good margin of victory 4.) the ideal system should not undermine the two-party system
10.) Write a paragraph describing what is meant by one of the following.
The people want to vote and then have it over with. When something goes wrong it gives the components things to complain about and that makes people mad.