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The Electoral College, explained

Video Overview & Insights

Why some Americans’ votes count more than others.

“

Fact check: There are a few other democracies that use an electoral college system to pick their president! But what sets the US apart from them is the president’s role. In many countries, the president is less important than the prime minister, or shares power with the prime minister, or is purely a figurehead. But in the US, the president holds all the executive power — they’re the head of government AND the head of state. And there are lots of other presidents like that around the world, but they’re almost always elected by popular vote or by a national legislature. No other democracy follows the US’s example of using an entirely separate body of “electors” to pick the country’s sole leader.

Here’s a short article that explains it really well and has a nice map: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/22/among-democracies-u-s-stands-out-in-how-it-chooses-its-head-of-state/

So no one really does it like the US does — but we definitely could have been more precise at 0:31. Thanks to all who pointed this out! -Adam

— @Vox

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In the 2000 US presidential election, the Democratic candidate got half a million more votes than the Republican. The Democrat lost. Sixteen years later the same thing happened again. In the US, if you run for president, it does not actually matter how many people in the country vote for you. What matters instead is an arcane system for selecting America’s head of state called the Electoral College.

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Republicans benefit

— @gregoryboss946

The Electoral College is the reason the US has something called “swing states,” and it’s the reason those places get to decide the future of the country. It’s the reason presidential candidates almost never campaign in the country’s biggest cities. And more recently, it’s also the reason that Republican candidates have been able to eke out victories in the presidential election without actually getting the most votes.

The Electoral College makes some Americans’ votes more powerful than others. In fact, that’s part of the reason we have it to begin with; in the country’s early years, the Electoral College helped give the votes of Southern Whites more weight than the votes of Northerners. The idea at its core, that certain votes simply matter more than others, is baked into the American tradition. In our elections, it decides the winner.

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too many unskipable back to back ads in your videos, not cool

— @spongekun4246

More User Perspectives

the reason the electoral college was originally chosen in the first place was NOT BECAUSE OF RACISM, but because many people at the constitutional convention were concerned with the logistics of having a direct democracy popular election. such as the issue of voters just choosing people they knew locally from their own state; there wouldn’t be a consensus/majority at the national level, so the idea was proposed that the state would choose (however it pleased) electors to convene together and pick a president. the idea was that designated electors would be able to make a better decision about someone nationally popular to choose for president and reach a consensus on. the 3/5’s clause had basically no impact on why the electoral college was chosen; it wasn’t a racism thing initially. certainly it eventually turned into that, but the electoral college was actually a great idea given the time period and lack of technology and interconnectedness that we have nowadays. the 3/5’s clause was chosen early on in the constitutional convention, and the electoral college was finally chosen at the end of the convention when nothing else could be agreed upon.

@kuiperroerdink1670

Way to many commercials

@conservativecoffee

This old system is a bunch of hogwash. 🤧😤

@drb5003

I’m trying to understand how a state like South Carolina, where Republicans are trying to redistrict/gerrymander will affect midterm representative/Senate races and comparison to how such redistricting affects the electoral vote every four years.

@GregoryGuay

Why do Americans make their lives harder bro

@dvd09971

I'll explain it better . Your vote don't count

@timtdog5542

DUMBEST SYSTEM EVER

@ghayath2011

Florida isn’t a swing state now

@slapshot68

There's some nuance In America, which is so spread out a popular vote would incentivise politicians to cater to the people in cities more (denser populations) meaning people in rural areas would be more likely to be neglected. ie why would a poltiican spend money to maintain a rural towns infastructure where that money can just be spent in the cities where the real votes are. So I mean, yes kind of what you're saying is true, but at the same time the electoral college actually gives a lot of communities who would otherwise be completely ignored representation. happy to be proven wrong if im looking at this wrong

@tatoman9569

Fact check: the United States isn't the only country who elects its president by an electoral college. Germany, India and Italy also elect their presidents by that. But the main difference is that while the German, Indian and Italian presidents are ceremonial positions, the US president has actual political powers

@tsang6482

We live in a Country where the candidate who receives the most support and votes of the people can lose the election.

@plus4stackr

And Americans can’t fathom why the rest of the world thinks USA is a backwater place, a third world country with a first world ego..

This is a perfect example of, atleast, one of the reasons why!

@Handskemager

This system benefits California because it was never adjusted for their population and land size too. They should have less of an influence. Anyhow the electoral college has too many flaws and need to be fixed to give smaller populated stated muscle.

@MightyMAC1

so the answer as to why we have the electoral college is (I never would’ve guessed this one) ✨racism✨

@BigFatherJohnson

So it's better for us to say that America has no any relationship with the so called democracy and democratic election!

@mohammedjelani-v2f

Democracy is something the USA don't have and that's the key of their success 😅😅😅😅😅. Don't let the people take important decisions!!!

@jfg123456jfg

No one has ever cared about the electoral college until their candidate lost

@karenlawlerAPHG

All 19 NATO member countries invoked Article 5 (collective defense) after 9/11, signifying unity, with 13 nations contributing to Operation Eagle Assist (patrolling U.S. skies) and many more joining the subsequent NATO-led mission in Afghanistan to prevent future attacks, showing broad support beyond just a few nations.
NATO's Response to 9/11
Article 5 Invoked: The day after the attacks, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first and only time in its history, stating an attack on one member is an attack on all.
Operation Eagle Assist: Seven NATO AWACS radar planes from 13 different countries patrolled U.S. skies from October 2001 to May 2002.
Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan): Nineteen NATO allies participated in the subsequent mission in Afghanistan to counter terrorism, marking a significant military commitment.
In essence, every NATO member pledged support, with multiple nations contributing personnel and resources directly to the defense of the U.S. and the broader fight against terrorism.

@billmaha3197

Its like a filter of the votes..depends what kinda deal being agreed upon between the candidates and those delegates in the electoral college? U agree? It could swing bcos there are deals made behind the curtain…

@beruangkutub33

You guys have it, in my country we had it until 1994.

@countryballsargentina902

Trying to justify a coup d'etat!

@sarsanch

IT needs to be abolished and then we will have a true vote by the people for the people it's a gerrymandering voting system for the way the corruption is set up for the elite wealthy and not the people

@timkelley2424

No the USA is not a democracy. We’re a republic which is why all democracies in the world don’t use an electoral college. Keep the electoral college system!

@Jcorbett.201

7:48 biggest defenders

@childobliterator8133

3:16 because she was democrat and california is democrat state she won even though she didn’t have campaign

@childobliterator8133

For those whom don't like the popular vote system, let me vote for you. There. You're getting what you want.

@JoseGardo-h7j

So the US had to deal with a 16 years of Republican leadership it didn’t want because Republicans want to keep it that way…

@Andrewpletz1

There are politicians that are trying to destroy this country there allowing the government to be shut down the not voting for the budget to pass because of social security taxes social security doesn't pay guys enough she gets hers and the children checks calls the police and are homeless because of social security

@CashBrooks-y6g4i

Okay then basically as a citizen our vote doesn’t matter… got it.

@SkySk-w1s

America needs to get rid of the electoral college.

@KoosMill

In conclusion, trump is a DEI hire

@hmongster2o6

The name of the game is get a life

@CashBrooks-y6g4i

She's a naval pilot what is she going to do a a politician permission slips to the entrepid Air Sea and space museum let her be a police commissioner hey went to college in the military cause they need the excersize to stay awake because there mother and some one she brought home from the bar liked last call for alcohol jokes elect a donken donuts owner for mayor and it be a franchise and a international business a mall owner and them and there mall friends will be building stores on the highway

@CashBrooks-y6g4i

really winning a State by 1 vote difference gives you the same number of electors as winning it by 5 million vote difference
all you have to do is just win as Many States as you can even it's by 1 vote difference

@liver-pool-1

Great resource for high school teachers. Couldn't have made this without an alcohol sponsor?

@MrGlennon

Amazing 🤩

@DollerDecades

0:51 it's the guy from Storybots!

@estebanr.fantini9592

If we get rid of the electoral college, Texas and Florida are going to decide every election

@waspwrap1235

So who is this Gerry Mandarin?

@pipebomber04

2:14 This is not a bug, it's a FEATURE. One of the purposes of the EC is to make sure a POTUS needs a lot of states to win so the votes are based on population but the different representations by electoral vote takes population difference into account but dampens the effect.
TL;DR The unequal representation is not a bug. It's a feature. It's supposed to be that way, it always has been and it always will be.

@tomservo75

"If voting changed anything they'd make it illegal"-Emma Goldman

@TommySanders-tp3ob

Get a copy of the Preamble, US Constitution, Bill of Rights and Amendments and put your finger on every word and when you see and touch the word "Electoral" and "College," take a picture of it and post it and that will settle the debate of the electoral college being in the Constitution. There is no 2 party or any party system in the Document we swear an oath.

@1160cg

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