Electoral College

Constitution 101: The Electoral College

by Mike Maharrey | Mar 31, 2019 | Constitution, Electoral College

When you head to the polls and vote for the president, you don’t actually vote for the president. You vote for a slate of electors who select the president through the Electoral College. The Electoral College was established in Article II Sec.1 of the Constitution....

Why the “National Public Vote” Scheme is Unconstitutional

by Rob Natelson | Feb 9, 2019 | Constitution, Elections, Electoral College

The U.S. Supreme Court says each state legislature has “plenary” (complete) power to decide how its state’s presidential electors are chosen. But suppose a state legislature decided to raise cash by selling its electors to the highest bidder. Do you think the Supreme...

The Electoral College is still right for America

by Rob Natelson | Jan 27, 2019 | Current Events, Elections, Electoral College

Criticisms of the Electoral College are regularly repeated in Democratic-controlled state legislatures. Those criticisms derive largely from ignorance as to why the Founders adopted the system they did. For example, it is not true, as some claim, that the Founders...

Presidential Elector Discretion: The Originalist Evidence

by Rob Natelson | Jan 10, 2018 | Constitution, Electoral College

This post first appeared at The Originalism Blog, in first and second installments. Colorado went Democrat in the 2016 presidential election. But three of Colorado’s Democratic presidential electors wanted to vote for someone other than Hillary Clinton. Two eventually...