Every four years, in November, Americans elect their president, and for this purpose electoral college was established. The Founders included the electoral college in the Constitution partly as a solution to electing the president through a vote in Congress and by a public vote of eligible people. The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors in sum (National Archives). Upon the completion of the general election, each elector casts one vote. A candidate for the presidency wins if they receive 270 votes minimum from electors (National Archives). Then, in January, the new government President and Vice President are then inaugurated. However, while it might seem that smaller states might have less influence in this process, the electoral college ensures that there is fairness.
The government’s founders worried that presidential candidates would only run for office in the country’s major cities and metropolitan areas, disregarding the less populous, more remote regions of the country. As a result, they put into place a mechanism where the states cast votes in the electoral college on account of the states rather than directly electing the president. Regardless of the location, every state has a minimum of three electoral votes because the quantity of electoral votes in every territory is determined by the number of senators and representatives the region has in Congress (United States of America Government). Individual states might not hold as much power in the given system as larger regions, but their votes nevertheless count since their three electoral votes ensure that. Therefore, the electoral college provides equality and justice since out of the 538 votes total, at least a few of the smaller state’s coalition will be represented.
Works Cited
National Archives. “Electoral College.” National Archives, n.d. Web.
United States of America Government. “Elections.” USAGov, n.d. Web.